The Snake Charmer: A Novel

by Sanjay Nigam

Sonalal, a middle-aged, accomplished snake charmer is playing his music one night when, overwhelmed by rage, he kills the one creature who loved him, an act that changes his life and future forever

Genres: Fiction, India

223 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Sanjay Nigam was born in India but moved to America with his family as an infant.

Reviews

[Mirrani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure where this book was going at first and I certainly wasn't certain that I could take it, what with the man killing his most loved pet from the very beginning. The story follows said character through a sort of mid-life crisis, where he finds himself going from being not really anybody to being nobody who also has nothing to do, as his livelihood is taken from him with the death of his snake. He has done this to himself, however, and you spend the rest of the book wondering what he will do and how his sanity will survive. The characters are very well worked out, each has their own place and purpose and are very strongly written, making the story seem all the more real.

It wasn't until I finished this book that I realized just how emotional the story was. This emotion goes beyond the simple plot being an emotional one and into a journey through the writing itself. Through the actual printed words, in a very meaningful and striking way, the author has managed to capture the feelings of an instant or the mental experiences behind an event with such ease that if you blink, you miss it. The subtlety behind this writing style was amazing to me and because of it I found myself even more in touch with the characters long after I had finished the book and moved into other literary realms.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

strange book, like i like the snake charmer point of it and the cultural things for india, but it was just boring other then that

[Jacklyn Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grabbed this book at my local library's book sale for a quarter, without more than a quick glance at the title. Initially thought it was going to be a romance novel. Was a little disappointed when I started reading, "Oh. This is really about a snake charmer." The book was surprisingly entertaining. Went back and forth from feeling sorry for Sonalal and wanting to smack him. Wish the author wasn't so vague about Reena and Sonalal's last night together. Was the little girl at the brothel Sonalal's daughter?

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and very funny tale of life and what it is to want to rise above the mediocrity and be extraordinary.

[NTaylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, though very enriching. I think it manages to waver between sympathy and antipathy for the hero, leaving it up to the reader. Favorite line: "Stop squishing my mangos!"

[Neal Fandek]

Dazzling. This apparently simple tale of a snake-bitten Delhi man - literally - is in fact a profound meditation on fame, love, mortality and the meaning of life. The snake charmer Sonalal is an illiterate, not particularly good village man living in dirty, crowded, dangerous Delhi with a wife who hates him, condescending sons and a whore who loves him, enough. But he has a divine gift, which he squanders, with disastrous consequences. The book then becomes a descent into the limits of existence, both heavenward and hell-ward, exploring both pretty thoroughly; some will be offended. Again and again, Sonalal's discursions keep reminding me of the descent of other existential books and anti-heroes: not so much Raskolnikov as Gregor Samsa.

This book is based on a short story and reads like it: A simple premise drawn out. But, I have to say, drawn out expertly. It's quite a book. Very, very few of us can write like this.

[Wisteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed to read while taking my life very seriously and going to school. Plus all of the social unrest here it was nice to take a break and dive into this book. The main character is very silly and even though he could easily fix his ways, he only continues to make his life worse and worse. I thought it was a great book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! I enjoyed this little tale very much.

Why is it that there are so many good physician/writers of fiction, but not many econ/writers (that I know of). There is Vikram Seth. Who else?

[Makena · Rating 3 out of 5]

The journey the main character goes through is very interesting and insightful; very meaningful. However, I disliked Nigam's writing style to the point where I could barely force myself to finish the book.

[Thirikwa Nyingi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book about a snake charmer who experiences brief celebrity status after biting to death his pet cobra in front of a busload of tourists. The rest of the book is about how he tries to reconcile himself with this dastardly act. I give it three stars.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
not sure of the point of this one. i thought I was enjoying it...but the characters in this story never learned an ounce of anything. I'm annoyed now that i kept expecting they would.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick read. Not compelling. Really disliked the main character.

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 65/223

There’s only so much I can read of a man who can’t get it up because he killed his “beloved” pet -_-

[Barbara Cryer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting view of life in India

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

did not enjoy. glad to be finished, wouldn't recommend it to my friends.

[River James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story really stuck with me as well as I found it in my friends study after he killed himself.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about how Sonalal deals with the death of his snake. At first he basks in the media attention, then he plunges into a deep depression as he becomes consumed by guilt. He also lives in fear that his snakes mate will come after him and lethally bite him.

I really enjoyed this story – it is very simple and very profound, and I could not put it down. There are many issues looked at by the author. How guilt exhibits itself – in Sonalal’s case it was sexual impotence, and the inability to play his music. He consults various acquaintances for advice, including a fellow snake charmer, a street magician, a GP and a comical sex therapist. There is also his friend the prostitute who helps him in her way. Sonalal’s lack of education and inhability to express himself makes his inquiries quite humourous, as he twists words and meanings to come up with his version of the various suggestions.
I guess this could be described as an Indian version of a man’s middle-life crisis. He is just one obscure struggling man, who has a moment of fame, destroys it, and sinks back into obscurity. The journey between obscurities, is the basis of this recommended book

[Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nigam has been compared to Arundhati Roy. I think Roy is more polished and but Nigam does write an enchanting and mesmerizing story.

straight up, it's an enchanting and engaging tale and i could have read it in one sitting....i wouldn't go so far as to compare sanjay nigam to arundhati roy (she's freaking amazing) but since everyone is doing it....

he isn't as polished or as deliberate in his use of lyrical prose as roy, but he does create beautiful imagery as she does....and his characters are charming and believable, too....i think his writing is more accessable and easy to read, closer to Life of Pi than to Roy's God of Small Things....

after reading this, i went right to the bookstore to get The Transplanted Man, his next book....it's definitely worth a read.

[Malay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story that went nowhere.

The main character is genuinely unlikeable, even more so perhaps than the author wanted him to be. The characters in this story have no journey, no arc. One wonders what the point of writing this book really is.

This book has been around for a while. If an Indian person were to write a story about a snake charmer in English, they should remember that the western mind still harbours many imperialist stereotypes and assumptions about the subcontinent. A story like that would require much more research, care, and sensitivity than we can see in Mr Nigam's work.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first novel by a Harvard physician, "The Snake Charmer" is a great read, if not great literature. I don't want to give away the gimmick that begins the book, but suffice it to say that a snake charmer finds an unusual way to ruin his livelihood, and spends the rest of the book trying to come to terms with his guilt. As much as anything else, the book is a vibrant evocation of life among the poor in India. I see on Amazon that Dr. Nigam has written a subsequent novel, and this is a reminder that I'll have to try that one.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another debut tells the tale of a snake charmer, that, angry over a snake bite, bites and kills his snake. Consumed by guilt and nightmares he tries to continue on without his beloved snake and livelihood. If he hadn’t played a “false” note the snake wouldn’t have rebelled against him to begin with. Is this a story of clashing cultures? The answer will change the Snake Charmer’s destiny. It also allows the reader a peak into Indian culture as the snake charmer seeks help from all of the resources within his grasp.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really really good! The tone in the beginning is quite playful and light but as the story progresses, it changes to reveal brokenness and regret.
There is quite a bit of sex in it, so for those who don't care for that sort of thing, beware. But it's part of the story about a man who is unfaithful to his wife but he doesn't realize the damage he's doing.
Overall it's a great book and speaks about regret, grief, and also hopes and desires. I recommend it!

[Jessica Haider · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching simply told story that reads like a fable. It pulls you in immediately. The main character is a poor, simple snake charmer. He finds fame, but at a cost. There are lots of philosophical issues raised and the book leaves you thinking. My book group had some good discussions about Snake Charmer.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm cheating a little because I read this book some ago, but I'd like to give it a deserving boost ... I loved this beautiful little book; I generally don't like allegories, and this isn;t strictly allegorical, but it can be read that way, as a hero journey. It's a delightful tale, told with humor and love.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it an interesting dynamic of life, guilt and love that has gone to a suspended state of formality. It kept
me wanting to pick the book up every day to see what was going to happen, so I would recommend it.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this because it was on some NYTimes author's recommended list. I don't remember who recommended it, but if I did, I'd most likely have a list of uninteresting books to stear clear of.

[Kareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sad but vivid story of a snake charmer and life in India. Very touching and tragic.

[Sapna · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute little story

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a snake charmer in India who finds fame at the cost of personal loss. It is a well written story and it may get you to look at your priorities in life.

[Sebastian Cosgrove · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into it.