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الأرض المطوية
حين أصدرت أنورادا رُوي روايتها الأولى، أطلس الحنين المستحيل، نجحتْ في انتزاع إعجاب عشرات الآلاف حول العالم، وتصدّرتْ لائحة "أفضل كُتُب العام" في الواشنطن بوست والسياتل تايمز. واليوم تعود رُوي بتُحْفةٍ أخرى تستقطب اهتمامَ الجوائز العالميّة.
هذه الرواية تحكي عن شابّةٍ تباشر حياةً جديدةً عند التلال الواقعة على سفوح الهملايا، وسط إيقاعات القرية الصغيرة الوادعة، حيث يتعايش الناسُ بسلامٍ مع الطبيعة. إلاّ أنّها لا تلبث أن تكتشف أنْ لا مَهْربَ من العالم الحديث. وحين يهدّد السياسيّون الشرهون مجتمَعها الحبيب، تجد نفسَها عالقةً بين الحياة التي خلّفتْها وراءها والمجتمعِ الجديدِ الذي عزمَتْ على أن تحميَه بكلّ قوّتها.
هذه الرواية تحكي عن شابّةٍ تباشر حياةً جديدةً عند التلال الواقعة على سفوح الهملايا، وسط إيقاعات القرية الصغيرة الوادعة، حيث يتعايش الناسُ بسلامٍ مع الطبيعة. إلاّ أنّها لا تلبث أن تكتشف أنْ لا مَهْربَ من العالم الحديث. وحين يهدّد السياسيّون الشرهون مجتمَعها الحبيب، تجد نفسَها عالقةً بين الحياة التي خلّفتْها وراءها والمجتمعِ الجديدِ الذي عزمَتْ على أن تحميَه بكلّ قوّتها.
422 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
225 people are currently reading
3070 people want to read
About the author
Anuradha Roy
25 books543 followersAnuradha Roy was educated in Hyderabad, Calcutta and Cambridge (UK). She is an editor at Permanent Black, an independent press publishing in South Asian history, politics and culture. She lives mainly in Ranikhet, India, with her husband Rukun Advani and their dog, Biscoot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
February 22, 2021
الأرض المطوية على اختلاف البشر والثقافات والمعتقدات
الحياة اليومية في بلدة صغيرة على التلال في جبال الهيمالايا
العلاقات والصلات التي تربط بين الناس والتقاليد التي تحكم المجتمع
تعرض الكاتبة انورادا روي ملامح من واقع الهند الاجتماعي والسياسي والديني
تفاصيل الشخصيات جميلة وخاصةً النسائية.. فيها شيء من القوة
قوة الاختيار والدخول في التجربة واجتيازها ولو انتهت بالألم والخذلان
المميز في الرواية اللغة والسرد الهادئ والاهتمام بجمال الطبيعة والحياة البرية
والترجمة ممتازة لمحمد درويش
الحياة اليومية في بلدة صغيرة على التلال في جبال الهيمالايا
العلاقات والصلات التي تربط بين الناس والتقاليد التي تحكم المجتمع
تعرض الكاتبة انورادا روي ملامح من واقع الهند الاجتماعي والسياسي والديني
تفاصيل الشخصيات جميلة وخاصةً النسائية.. فيها شيء من القوة
قوة الاختيار والدخول في التجربة واجتيازها ولو انتهت بالألم والخذلان
المميز في الرواية اللغة والسرد الهادئ والاهتمام بجمال الطبيعة والحياة البرية
والترجمة ممتازة لمحمد درويش
May 10, 2020
A delicate, almost effervescent beauty permeates the novel and the depiction of the Himalayan foothills where the novel is set; a place of lilac sunsets and translucent peaks, of a sense of listlessness which frequently disguises the danger which lurks beneath, from the leopards which stalk the forests surrounding the town where the story takes place to the mysterious nature of the death of Maya's husband. The sense of sleepiness is also punctuated by the political intrigue involving the secret letters between Nehru and Edwina Mountbatten which are held by the outwardly conceited historian Diwan Sahib.
'The Folded Earth' is as much an evocation of the forests and mountains surrounding Ranikhet-indeed the backdrop of the story is as central a character as any of the human characters who appear in the novel. Ranikhet acts a refuge for Maya following the untimely death of her husband Michael, a salve to the pain which is seared into her soul following his passing, yet these wounds are reopened by her encounter with Diwan Sahib's nephew Veer. Not only does her passion with Veer jolt her into life, it forces her to confront her past history with Michael. Roy's straightforward and simple narrative style allows for the characters who surround Maya, from the servant girl Charu, to the supercilious and eccentric but essentially good Diwan Sahib, to slowly grow on the reader, as the slow rhythm of their lives gradually becomes more and more important as the novel develops.
'The Folded Earth' is a skilfully woven story which slowly grows on the reader, who is slowly lulled into the lives of the characters who populate the story.
'The Folded Earth' is as much an evocation of the forests and mountains surrounding Ranikhet-indeed the backdrop of the story is as central a character as any of the human characters who appear in the novel. Ranikhet acts a refuge for Maya following the untimely death of her husband Michael, a salve to the pain which is seared into her soul following his passing, yet these wounds are reopened by her encounter with Diwan Sahib's nephew Veer. Not only does her passion with Veer jolt her into life, it forces her to confront her past history with Michael. Roy's straightforward and simple narrative style allows for the characters who surround Maya, from the servant girl Charu, to the supercilious and eccentric but essentially good Diwan Sahib, to slowly grow on the reader, as the slow rhythm of their lives gradually becomes more and more important as the novel develops.
'The Folded Earth' is a skilfully woven story which slowly grows on the reader, who is slowly lulled into the lives of the characters who populate the story.
July 16, 2022
Totally loved this book set in the hilly Uttarakhand. Would nt forget Maya, Charu, Pooran, Aama, Deewan Saab and Co soon.
Was a well told story.
Was a well told story.
April 28, 2012
The first 100 or so pages of this started out as strong as An Atlas of Impossible Longing, which I absolutely loved reading last year. I remember now why I love Anuradha Roy's writing so much - it comes off as enchanting and magical, and she says everything so eloquently and with occasional large words. I love how she interworks details from Indian history, archaeology, and culture with the main point of the story. But, unfortunately, I did not think that this book was anywhere near as fantastic as Roy's previous novel. The plot was very slow-paced, and if not for Roy's great writing, I would probably have been bored enough to struggle finishing the book. The storyline meandered, never truly reaching what was expected from reading the book's blurbs. I didn't feel like the story and characters were as well-developed as they could have been, and the overall plot seemed to be missing some cohesive element. I think, on the last page, I finally grasped some of the points Roy was trying to make with the novel. The Folded Earth is worth a read - Roy's writing is still wonderful and there are some interesting points to the book - but if you're choosing between it and An Atlas of Impossible Longing, go with the latter!
March 26, 2012
The Folded Earth is an elegiac and poetic story of love, loss, memories, and new beginnings. Set in Ranikhet, a little town in the Indian Himalaya, the story is sensitively, unsentimentally told. Lines flow like soothing music. Little wonder that this novel won the Hindu Literary Prize 2011 and made it to the Short List for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011.
Maya, aged 25, lost her husband whom she had married against her family's wishes, in a mountaineering accident. She retreated to Ranikhet, a place where secrets were kept by the hills, to work in a church-run school and to heal. Roy surrounded Maya with a group of village folks, each rather endearing in his or her idiosyncratic ways. The character I treasured most was Puran, the dim-witted goat herd with a big heart who drew animals to himself like magic.
I derived the greatest pleasure from taking in Roy’s depiction of the sights and sounds of the Indian landscape - sky, flatland, hillsides, mountains, the chikoo trees, and the spiky dog rose. There was old world charm, no longer found in modern cities, but that perhaps still exists in some parts of the world such as this where goods were sold from gunny sacks and handcarts, where butchers sold marbled-eyed heads of slaughtered goats, and leopards (well, more alarming than charming) prowled the streets by night. Contrasting the "choked cacophony of cars, motorbikes, scooters and trucks" on narrow roads were the vivid scenes of the monsoon ravaged landscape and folks seeking solace by watching the rain, drinking tea, and gossiping.
Maya’s life was bound up with the secrets of her landlord, Diwan Sahib, and the enigmatic nephew, Veer, to whom she was unwittingly attracted. But the hills did unravel its secrets. Poetic justice was served but what lingered was the sadness that had deepened even more when the last page was turned.
Maya, aged 25, lost her husband whom she had married against her family's wishes, in a mountaineering accident. She retreated to Ranikhet, a place where secrets were kept by the hills, to work in a church-run school and to heal. Roy surrounded Maya with a group of village folks, each rather endearing in his or her idiosyncratic ways. The character I treasured most was Puran, the dim-witted goat herd with a big heart who drew animals to himself like magic.
I derived the greatest pleasure from taking in Roy’s depiction of the sights and sounds of the Indian landscape - sky, flatland, hillsides, mountains, the chikoo trees, and the spiky dog rose. There was old world charm, no longer found in modern cities, but that perhaps still exists in some parts of the world such as this where goods were sold from gunny sacks and handcarts, where butchers sold marbled-eyed heads of slaughtered goats, and leopards (well, more alarming than charming) prowled the streets by night. Contrasting the "choked cacophony of cars, motorbikes, scooters and trucks" on narrow roads were the vivid scenes of the monsoon ravaged landscape and folks seeking solace by watching the rain, drinking tea, and gossiping.
Maya’s life was bound up with the secrets of her landlord, Diwan Sahib, and the enigmatic nephew, Veer, to whom she was unwittingly attracted. But the hills did unravel its secrets. Poetic justice was served but what lingered was the sadness that had deepened even more when the last page was turned.
June 14, 2012
It's really, really beautiful writing. Roy creates a kind of hypnotic, dream-like state with her descriptions: for example, I remember a passage (I think around p. 150), where she describes the monsoon season in this hill town in such evocative, original language I had to read it three times. And that seems to be how Roy works: despite jumps in chronology or point of view, her very consistent, very poetic voice stitches together those pieces into a long-frame continuity. And it is a very touching portrait of a far-off place whose defining characteristic isn't so much that it's Indian as that it's rural and mostly poor. This is an alternative (welcome) view of our 21st Century, globalized adventure.
I had two reservations, though. First, the voice is so consistent, I found it could have used a little modulation. I like slow/quiet books, but a surprising amount of this one just seemed forgettable. Even when major plot points unfold, or even in more active scenes, the voice didn't really vary much from the overall descriptive/poetic one. Secondly, I thought the plot was a little unsatisfying. Again, I'm perfectly happy with unresolved endings, but I thought there was a lot of work done here to set up a couple of major conflicts, and then they were just kind of lumped together without any real resolution one way or another at the end. I think the ending needed to be a little bit longer, a little more nuanced, and we needed to see how some of this tension un-folded from the earth of these hills.
Still, great writing, and it made me curious to check out her earlier work.
I had two reservations, though. First, the voice is so consistent, I found it could have used a little modulation. I like slow/quiet books, but a surprising amount of this one just seemed forgettable. Even when major plot points unfold, or even in more active scenes, the voice didn't really vary much from the overall descriptive/poetic one. Secondly, I thought the plot was a little unsatisfying. Again, I'm perfectly happy with unresolved endings, but I thought there was a lot of work done here to set up a couple of major conflicts, and then they were just kind of lumped together without any real resolution one way or another at the end. I think the ending needed to be a little bit longer, a little more nuanced, and we needed to see how some of this tension un-folded from the earth of these hills.
Still, great writing, and it made me curious to check out her earlier work.
November 18, 2011
It takes a special writer to fashion something out of the ordinary from such a conventional subject: in this case, the much-plundered, Kipling-esque tale of rural India's struggle to shake off the remnants of the Raj and embrace an uneasy new political and religious future.
Anuradha Roy, however, has lifted 'The Folded Earth' far above the dangers of cliche, both with the shimmering beauty of her prose and the effortless manner in which she unfurls a tale rich in warmth and humour, yet never straying far from its delicate, dark heart.
'The Folded Earth' is about love, loss and longing as much as it about the corruptive influence of politics and religion: the fragility of everyday existence in the mountain villages of Himalaya mirrored by the uneasy peace among Hindus, Christians and Muslims, which is already spilling blood in the valleys below.
Maya, a young schoolteacher, escapes to the mountains following the death of her husband in a climbing accident, seeking and at first finding a happiness of sorts. She helps an eccentric scholar, Diwan Sahib, complete his life's work and forges a precious friendship with Charu, a peasant girl who lives on his estate.
When Charu falls in love with a visiting hotel cook, and Diwan's nephew Veer arrives to set up a trekking company, Maya's dream of solitude is shattered. Elections are approaching, and the rise in Hindu nationalism threatens the future of her school and the life she and the locals have forged around it.
Roy's work is a masterpiece of restraint. She conjures a world of such verdant beauty it must surely have been tempting to destroy it: juxtaposing her poetic descriptions with a brutality which shatters its inherent tranquility to devastating effect.
Many have done it; many others have resisted the temptation so entirely as to render their works little more than glorified travelogues; bright pictures of magical, distant lands. Roy has achieved both: content to let the dark forces lurk without ever quite manifesting themselves, she lends an extra potency and poignancy to almost all of the central characters' choices. Their lives as they know it are, you sense, hanging by a thread no stronger than the one which Charu tears superstitiously from her dupatta to tie to temple railings at the beginning of her greatest journey.
'The Folded Earth' is a book about the power and glory of nature, and the struggle of the human spirit to establish itself therein. The politics - and threats - ebb and flow through the scorching hot summers and frozen winters, but the mountains, and the mountain people, remain.
'The Folded Earth' - longlisted for the MAN Asian Literary Prize, and surely a strong contender - is a beautiful book that will not leave you until long after the final page. There, you will find what is perhaps Roy's ultimate anti-cliche: a happy (ish) and eminently satisfactory ending - for the time being, at least.
Anuradha Roy, however, has lifted 'The Folded Earth' far above the dangers of cliche, both with the shimmering beauty of her prose and the effortless manner in which she unfurls a tale rich in warmth and humour, yet never straying far from its delicate, dark heart.
'The Folded Earth' is about love, loss and longing as much as it about the corruptive influence of politics and religion: the fragility of everyday existence in the mountain villages of Himalaya mirrored by the uneasy peace among Hindus, Christians and Muslims, which is already spilling blood in the valleys below.
Maya, a young schoolteacher, escapes to the mountains following the death of her husband in a climbing accident, seeking and at first finding a happiness of sorts. She helps an eccentric scholar, Diwan Sahib, complete his life's work and forges a precious friendship with Charu, a peasant girl who lives on his estate.
When Charu falls in love with a visiting hotel cook, and Diwan's nephew Veer arrives to set up a trekking company, Maya's dream of solitude is shattered. Elections are approaching, and the rise in Hindu nationalism threatens the future of her school and the life she and the locals have forged around it.
Roy's work is a masterpiece of restraint. She conjures a world of such verdant beauty it must surely have been tempting to destroy it: juxtaposing her poetic descriptions with a brutality which shatters its inherent tranquility to devastating effect.
Many have done it; many others have resisted the temptation so entirely as to render their works little more than glorified travelogues; bright pictures of magical, distant lands. Roy has achieved both: content to let the dark forces lurk without ever quite manifesting themselves, she lends an extra potency and poignancy to almost all of the central characters' choices. Their lives as they know it are, you sense, hanging by a thread no stronger than the one which Charu tears superstitiously from her dupatta to tie to temple railings at the beginning of her greatest journey.
'The Folded Earth' is a book about the power and glory of nature, and the struggle of the human spirit to establish itself therein. The politics - and threats - ebb and flow through the scorching hot summers and frozen winters, but the mountains, and the mountain people, remain.
'The Folded Earth' - longlisted for the MAN Asian Literary Prize, and surely a strong contender - is a beautiful book that will not leave you until long after the final page. There, you will find what is perhaps Roy's ultimate anti-cliche: a happy (ish) and eminently satisfactory ending - for the time being, at least.
July 18, 2019
Anuradha Roy is a great story teller. Sadness suffuses her novels: don’t read an Anuradha Roy novel if you want a happy ending.
The Folding Earth is rich in characters, plot, and atmospherics. Roy animates even her more minor characters — the town administrator and his wife, the new town constable, the principal of the Catholic school, even Rani the pet deer fawn — with distinct personalities. Roy treats the village of Ranikhet in the Himalayan foothills as yet another character, together with its culture and its social structure.
The Folded Earth is Anuradha Roy’s second of four novels. I’ve enjoyed them all, and The Folded Earth and All the Lives We Never Lived are my two faves.
4.5 stars
The Folding Earth is rich in characters, plot, and atmospherics. Roy animates even her more minor characters — the town administrator and his wife, the new town constable, the principal of the Catholic school, even Rani the pet deer fawn — with distinct personalities. Roy treats the village of Ranikhet in the Himalayan foothills as yet another character, together with its culture and its social structure.
The Folded Earth is Anuradha Roy’s second of four novels. I’ve enjoyed them all, and The Folded Earth and All the Lives We Never Lived are my two faves.
4.5 stars
July 23, 2022
This is a lovely tale written in an elegant manner. I loved it right from the beginning.
Loved our protagonist, and her world with Michael (her husband). Got a sip of their lives, after which the plot moved to Ranikhet.
If I have to pick between a beach and a mountain, I'll pick..... well I'm always confused about that one :)
Loved the world of Diwan Sahib, Charu, Kishan, Amma and Veer.
Will need to do a little homework, to figure out more about the letters between Nehru and Edwina.
Overall it was a pleasure to read this one. The reading took its time, as I got marinated with the characters and setting.
This is an author I'll lookout for.
Loved our protagonist, and her world with Michael (her husband). Got a sip of their lives, after which the plot moved to Ranikhet.
If I have to pick between a beach and a mountain, I'll pick..... well I'm always confused about that one :)
Loved the world of Diwan Sahib, Charu, Kishan, Amma and Veer.
Will need to do a little homework, to figure out more about the letters between Nehru and Edwina.
Overall it was a pleasure to read this one. The reading took its time, as I got marinated with the characters and setting.
This is an author I'll lookout for.
November 12, 2012
Maya is a city girl, married to a man with a passion for mountain climbing. When he dies on an ill-fated trip, she leaves Bangalore and takes up a job as a teacher in the village of Ranikhet, near where the accident occurred. The Folded Earth, which Maya narrates, tells of how she finds her place within the small community, and learns to move on from her husband's death.
'
I enjoyed this book for most of its length. Maya could easily have been a 'doctor/policewoman/vet' from London moving to a remote community in the Scottish Highlands. It read like a charming and comforting BBC series. Even Ranikhet, which seemed like a relic of a British colonial outpost, felt familiar and safe. It was definitely Indian though, and this became more and more obvious as the story unfolded. However, The Folded Earth would definitely make a decent introduction to Indian literature for those who don't like to be 'culture-shocked' by their books. (let me give you a tip... if you've never dipped your toe into Indian literature it's definitely something you should try)
I had every intention of giving The Folded Earth 4 stars: it was lovely in a lot of respects, and I found myself consistently wanting to visit Ranikhet, but at the same time it seemed a little insubstantial. It contained a series of charming vignettes, but didn't seem to contain any real punch.
Unfortunately, the punch did eventually come. I hope it's not a spoiler to say that the tone of the novel completely changed a few chapters from the end. I don't mean that there were plot twists... I mean that it suddenly turned nasty. It's one thing to have a sting the tail, but this was ridiculous. The Folded Earth didn't stay true to itself, and was completely spoiled for me as a result. I now only want to give it 2 stars, something I didn't imagine was possible 50 pages from home.
I'm not very good at picking out the messages in the books I read - I just like experiencing them. I can definitely see some bigger themes in this one though, so the author was obviously successful in getting me to think. However, that doesn't change the fact that I really disliked the ending.
'
I enjoyed this book for most of its length. Maya could easily have been a 'doctor/policewoman/vet' from London moving to a remote community in the Scottish Highlands. It read like a charming and comforting BBC series. Even Ranikhet, which seemed like a relic of a British colonial outpost, felt familiar and safe. It was definitely Indian though, and this became more and more obvious as the story unfolded. However, The Folded Earth would definitely make a decent introduction to Indian literature for those who don't like to be 'culture-shocked' by their books. (let me give you a tip... if you've never dipped your toe into Indian literature it's definitely something you should try)
I had every intention of giving The Folded Earth 4 stars: it was lovely in a lot of respects, and I found myself consistently wanting to visit Ranikhet, but at the same time it seemed a little insubstantial. It contained a series of charming vignettes, but didn't seem to contain any real punch.
Unfortunately, the punch did eventually come. I hope it's not a spoiler to say that the tone of the novel completely changed a few chapters from the end. I don't mean that there were plot twists... I mean that it suddenly turned nasty. It's one thing to have a sting the tail, but this was ridiculous. The Folded Earth didn't stay true to itself, and was completely spoiled for me as a result. I now only want to give it 2 stars, something I didn't imagine was possible 50 pages from home.
I'm not very good at picking out the messages in the books I read - I just like experiencing them. I can definitely see some bigger themes in this one though, so the author was obviously successful in getting me to think. However, that doesn't change the fact that I really disliked the ending.
July 6, 2012
Very quietly, Roy focuses on the remote corners of the heart and India. Sadness permeates the hamlet while nature's beauty encompasses it.
This quote, late in the book, exemplifies Roy's prowess and provides a window into the story as well:
"In winter, the air is clear enough to drink, and your eyes can travel many hundreds of miles until they reach the green of the near hills, the blue-gray beyond them, and then the snow peaks far away, which rise in the sky with the sun, and remain suspended there, higher than imaginable, changing color and shape through the day. Every hour, they come closer, their massive flanks clearly visible, plumes of cloud smoking from their tips. After the last of the daylight is gone, at dusk, the peaks still glimmer in the slow-growing darkness as if jagged pieces of the moon had dropped from sky to earth.
These are secrets hidden from those who escape the Himalaya when it is at its bleakest: the mountains do not reveal themselves to people who come here merely to escape the heat of the plains. Through the summer they veil themselves in a haze. The peaks emerge for those devoted to them through the coldest of winters, the wettest of monsoons. The mountains, Diwan Sahib said in an uncharacteristic rush of sentimentality fueled by a few drinks at his fireplace, believe that love must be tested by adversity."
This is a book for readers who like to luxuriate in their reading. Roy tells you what is happening but compels you only occasionally to keep going. Too often, I found myself struggling to keep awake, which may be attributed to my life being too hectic lately. Wish I'd read this when I could have been more dedicated to my reading.
This quote, late in the book, exemplifies Roy's prowess and provides a window into the story as well:
"In winter, the air is clear enough to drink, and your eyes can travel many hundreds of miles until they reach the green of the near hills, the blue-gray beyond them, and then the snow peaks far away, which rise in the sky with the sun, and remain suspended there, higher than imaginable, changing color and shape through the day. Every hour, they come closer, their massive flanks clearly visible, plumes of cloud smoking from their tips. After the last of the daylight is gone, at dusk, the peaks still glimmer in the slow-growing darkness as if jagged pieces of the moon had dropped from sky to earth.
These are secrets hidden from those who escape the Himalaya when it is at its bleakest: the mountains do not reveal themselves to people who come here merely to escape the heat of the plains. Through the summer they veil themselves in a haze. The peaks emerge for those devoted to them through the coldest of winters, the wettest of monsoons. The mountains, Diwan Sahib said in an uncharacteristic rush of sentimentality fueled by a few drinks at his fireplace, believe that love must be tested by adversity."
This is a book for readers who like to luxuriate in their reading. Roy tells you what is happening but compels you only occasionally to keep going. Too often, I found myself struggling to keep awake, which may be attributed to my life being too hectic lately. Wish I'd read this when I could have been more dedicated to my reading.
June 17, 2015
Beautifully written story of the tension between urban and rural life, as well as between the colonial era and modernity, in contemporary India. Maya, recently widowed, is reeling from the loss of her photographer/trekker husband, Michael, and is already estranged from her family for marrying outside her religion. She moves to the cantonment town of Ranikhet, near the western peaks of the Himalayas, in hopes of forgetting and moving on with a completely different lifestyle and cast of characters in her new world. Still, political tensions and modern ways of living are even encroaching on this place, where everyone knows everyone else (and everyone else's business). Loved the evocative descriptions of the natural world as well as the characters: some humorous, some poignant, some with a darker side, but all worth knowing.
July 31, 2022
“These are secrets hidden from those who escape the Himalaya when it is at its bleakest: the mountains do not reveal themselves to people who come here merely to escape the heat of the plains. Through the summer they veil themselves in a haze. The peaks emerge for those devoted to them through the coldest of winters, the wettest of monsoons. The mountains, Diwan Sahib said in an uncharacteristic rush of sentimentality fueled by a few drinks at his fireplace, believe that love must be tested by adversity.”
This probably is the best summary of the book - a constant clash of ideologies of belonging - the insider vs outsider debate about the life at the mountain town of Ranikhet. Maya, a young widow comes to Ranikhet, to grieve the loss of her mountaineering husband and makes it her home. She is the Teacher-ni to the native family of Ama and Charu; a non-converted teacher who can't control the class to her Principal; a faithful companion to the octagenarian Diwan Sahib who shares his love for the mountains along with that of Corbett;
When the modern world starts coming into contact with the locals - things start changing. The young girl Charu falls in love with an outsider, there is a Colonel defining what the local should and should not do, elections are coming to the city to divide them on religion and there is a young nephew called Veer who seems to have his own agenda. There are multiple small episodes that doesn't move anything dramatic but changes things a bit. In that sense, it reminded me of Reservoir 13 - a long book about nothing.
But then, the book conveys it's intent of what it means to be a pahadi. The characters arcs are gradual and well thought out. The book doesn't judge it's characters through the episodes. The writing style was a bit weird - chapters narrated by Maya are in first person, but the other chapters are by the all-seeing narrator. Writing, though smooth, was not too poignant.
As someone who spent two years in the lap of clouds in a mountain city and never managing to claim being even a distant insider, I believe the hills themselves differentiate the natives from the outsiders. A good read.
This probably is the best summary of the book - a constant clash of ideologies of belonging - the insider vs outsider debate about the life at the mountain town of Ranikhet. Maya, a young widow comes to Ranikhet, to grieve the loss of her mountaineering husband and makes it her home. She is the Teacher-ni to the native family of Ama and Charu; a non-converted teacher who can't control the class to her Principal; a faithful companion to the octagenarian Diwan Sahib who shares his love for the mountains along with that of Corbett;
When the modern world starts coming into contact with the locals - things start changing. The young girl Charu falls in love with an outsider, there is a Colonel defining what the local should and should not do, elections are coming to the city to divide them on religion and there is a young nephew called Veer who seems to have his own agenda. There are multiple small episodes that doesn't move anything dramatic but changes things a bit. In that sense, it reminded me of Reservoir 13 - a long book about nothing.
But then, the book conveys it's intent of what it means to be a pahadi. The characters arcs are gradual and well thought out. The book doesn't judge it's characters through the episodes. The writing style was a bit weird - chapters narrated by Maya are in first person, but the other chapters are by the all-seeing narrator. Writing, though smooth, was not too poignant.
As someone who spent two years in the lap of clouds in a mountain city and never managing to claim being even a distant insider, I believe the hills themselves differentiate the natives from the outsiders. A good read.
December 16, 2017
With The Folded Earth, I have now read all of Anuradha Roy's novels. Like the others, this one is, too, a beautiful, felt story, told gorgeously. I will return to all of them again soon enough, as I think they deserve rereads, but something I have noted in Roy, something I have come to expect, is sheer atmosphere. Like how I could feel the riverine world that holds together the early parts of An Atlas of Impossible Longing, and the sea in Sleeping on Jupiter seems to frame the world itself, The Folded Earth's Himalayas are such a presence that you can almost feel the mountain wind on you.
I will return to this novel again, because I don't think I have caught all of its undercurrents yet. I have felt this about all of Roy's books: that though I read them with such joy, I couldn't quite 'get' them. I want to find out if I can remedy that, or if it's something to be remedied at all.
But for now, let me tell you this: This is a really good novel by a brilliant artist of language and place. Read.
I will return to this novel again, because I don't think I have caught all of its undercurrents yet. I have felt this about all of Roy's books: that though I read them with such joy, I couldn't quite 'get' them. I want to find out if I can remedy that, or if it's something to be remedied at all.
But for now, let me tell you this: This is a really good novel by a brilliant artist of language and place. Read.
July 5, 2012
A Himalayan estate and a handful of colorful characters do not a good novel make--by themselves, that is. If I had absolutely nothing else to do, I might have waded to the end of this book. But scenes just for the sake having them, and a first person narrative that bizarrely manages to get into the inner world of other characters seriously weigh down one's patience. This book has the meat, but not the bones. So reading it was like prodding around folds of flesh to see if one can find some structure.
August 29, 2012
When Maya, a young Hindu woman, marries Michael, a Christian who her father disapproves of, her relationship with her family is severed. Michael was a professional photographer who claimed the mountains were in his blood, and his love for the mountains were as deep as the love he had for his wife. However just six years into their marriage, Michael dies in a mountaineering accident, and Maya finds herself all alone.
She decides to move to Ranikhet a village high in the mountains, the place her husband so loved. There she finds a job teaching at a Christian school and tries to get on with her life. Bonding with her landlord and neighbors, she also forms a special relationship with Charu, a shy young peasant girl who had become a student at her school. Despite this, all is not peaceful around her new village. Both religious and political tensions upset the calm and peacefulness of the mountains, and pose a threat to the Christian school as well.
I loved the cover of this book -- so beautiful, and the setting, the Himalayas, was a locale I haven't been transported in a long long while, that seemed especially magical at times. I was surprised that the book took me longer to finish than I expected. Although the writing is beautiful, the story itself never fully engaged me. In fact, except for the eccentric scholar, which provided for some brief humor, the characters weren't all that memorable for me. Despite this, I would still like the read the author's earlier book, The Atlas of Impossible Longing.
She decides to move to Ranikhet a village high in the mountains, the place her husband so loved. There she finds a job teaching at a Christian school and tries to get on with her life. Bonding with her landlord and neighbors, she also forms a special relationship with Charu, a shy young peasant girl who had become a student at her school. Despite this, all is not peaceful around her new village. Both religious and political tensions upset the calm and peacefulness of the mountains, and pose a threat to the Christian school as well.
I loved the cover of this book -- so beautiful, and the setting, the Himalayas, was a locale I haven't been transported in a long long while, that seemed especially magical at times. I was surprised that the book took me longer to finish than I expected. Although the writing is beautiful, the story itself never fully engaged me. In fact, except for the eccentric scholar, which provided for some brief humor, the characters weren't all that memorable for me. Despite this, I would still like the read the author's earlier book, The Atlas of Impossible Longing.
August 2, 2015
This is one of those books that make you pause so you can visualize the scenes described. The narrative was lyrical, poetic and cinematic. And for me, the setting was so very comfortable, like going back to something familiar and even personal. The scenes and mood of a small Indian town are very well captured in this book. I would have given this book a five star but the end, I felt was slightly contrived.
February 7, 2016
Didn't want this book to end :(
May 30, 2016
hauntingly beautiful... reminds me of keri hulme's the bone people somehow... its heartbreakingly poignant...
July 25, 2022
The Folded Earth is one of those books which permeates your soul. I usually take copious notes but for this one, my words don't even come close to the experience of reading it. I had forgotten how beautiful and evocative Anuradha Roy’s writing is. Her writing is a lament, with sadness permeating the pages. The chapters are short but you want to keep on reading.
There are some books you can't help reading even though you know it's not going to be easy but I felt compelled to read it once I spotted it in the society's library. Though I enjoyed the descriptions of the terrain, the natural beauty, and the animals, especially the eagles, it was a laborious read in parts. After a point it stopped being poetic and became meandering. Also, I would have liked to read more about the people if that makes sense. They ended up being unknowable even as I closed the book minutes before my flight home. I was unwell and away from home trying to recuperate. A year later I realized I was an idiot to read this then. The book lends itself to asking existential questions which I wasn't in the right frame of mind to combat then.
The author’s sense of humour helped balance the hefty themes of the book. Her description of how cows gate crashed a party was absolutely hilarious. I won’t be forgetting the book anytime soon.
There are some books you can't help reading even though you know it's not going to be easy but I felt compelled to read it once I spotted it in the society's library. Though I enjoyed the descriptions of the terrain, the natural beauty, and the animals, especially the eagles, it was a laborious read in parts. After a point it stopped being poetic and became meandering. Also, I would have liked to read more about the people if that makes sense. They ended up being unknowable even as I closed the book minutes before my flight home. I was unwell and away from home trying to recuperate. A year later I realized I was an idiot to read this then. The book lends itself to asking existential questions which I wasn't in the right frame of mind to combat then.
The author’s sense of humour helped balance the hefty themes of the book. Her description of how cows gate crashed a party was absolutely hilarious. I won’t be forgetting the book anytime soon.
May 16, 2016
First of all, I read "Sleeping on Jupiter" when it was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize last year. I really liked that book. Then I read "An Atlas of Impossible Longing" a few months later and thought it equally beautiful. And now I have read "The Folded Earth" and Roy has done it again. She writes beautifully: there's nothing flamboyant about her writing, but it is a joy to read. Her characters feel real. The places they live feel real.
This book is a story primarily about a woman and a girl. The woman is a widow and coming to terms with the tragic loss of her husband. The girl is her neighbour who "loses" the love of her life when he goes away to work. Will Maya find love again? Will Charu's stand the test of separation? And meanwhile, what is Veer doing with his sudden disappearances and unpredictable returns? And what is happening in town with the elections? And...there's a lot of questions bouncing around through the book and my only criticism is that everything seemed to get explained rather quickly at the end. Although, thinking about it, I quite liked that: a few sudden twists and turns and no messing around with long-winded denouements, so perhaps that isn't actually a criticism.
I hope Anuradha Roy writes some more fiction!
This book is a story primarily about a woman and a girl. The woman is a widow and coming to terms with the tragic loss of her husband. The girl is her neighbour who "loses" the love of her life when he goes away to work. Will Maya find love again? Will Charu's stand the test of separation? And meanwhile, what is Veer doing with his sudden disappearances and unpredictable returns? And what is happening in town with the elections? And...there's a lot of questions bouncing around through the book and my only criticism is that everything seemed to get explained rather quickly at the end. Although, thinking about it, I quite liked that: a few sudden twists and turns and no messing around with long-winded denouements, so perhaps that isn't actually a criticism.
I hope Anuradha Roy writes some more fiction!
July 21, 2012
• The strength of this book is its language and descriptions – how the author uses phrases was what settled me into this book.
• The author did a very good job of making me feel I was right there in the village/town with the characters and their daily lives
• Interesting cast of characters – but does subtly explore the caste, class, gender, religious differences and also showed how the characters were bound together despite these differences.
• The locale was a hill station – and enjoyed how it was woven into the story. Several years ago I had read a NF book about the hill stations that the British had in Asia where they usually camped out in the summer to escape the heat and diseases from the coastal town.
• Maya’s journey of coming into her own was as the language subtle and elegant – but then most of the characters are endearing in their own eccentric way.
• The author did a very good job of making me feel I was right there in the village/town with the characters and their daily lives
• Interesting cast of characters – but does subtly explore the caste, class, gender, religious differences and also showed how the characters were bound together despite these differences.
• The locale was a hill station – and enjoyed how it was woven into the story. Several years ago I had read a NF book about the hill stations that the British had in Asia where they usually camped out in the summer to escape the heat and diseases from the coastal town.
• Maya’s journey of coming into her own was as the language subtle and elegant – but then most of the characters are endearing in their own eccentric way.
May 24, 2022
الكتاب الثالث الذي أقرأه لأنورادا روي، وكعادتها لا تخيّب ظني؛ عمل غنّي بتفاصيل مثرية لا تقتصر على شخصيات معقدة ومتشابكة، بل تمتد لهوية مكانية وأبعاد اجتماعية وبيئية وطبيعية وسياسية. الرواية التي تتخذ من مناطق الجبال في الهملايا مكاناً لها، تأخذ القرّاء من مكانهم وتطير بهم إلى بقعة طبيعية فريدة. فكلمات روي السحرية وأسلوبها السلس تحفز حواسنا لنسمع أصوات الطيور وحيوانات الغابة وضجيج سكان البلدة، ونشم روائح السرخسيات الرطبة والبصل المقلي في الأطباق الهندية، ونتخيل مناظر طبيعية خلابة تتعاقب فيها الفصول.
أبعاد إنسانية رقيقة نراها أثضاً في بوران القادر مع التواصل مع الحيوانات، ومايا - الشخصية الرئيسية - واختلاطها بسكان رانكيهت، والعمة الثرثارة وشارو وغيرها من الشخصيات.
الترجمة للدكتور محمد درويش ممتازة، الأمر الذي جعل من قراءة الصفحات ال 422 سلسة ومشوقة
أبعاد إنسانية رقيقة نراها أثضاً في بوران القادر مع التواصل مع الحيوانات، ومايا - الشخصية الرئيسية - واختلاطها بسكان رانكيهت، والعمة الثرثارة وشارو وغيرها من الشخصيات.
الترجمة للدكتور محمد درويش ممتازة، الأمر الذي جعل من قراءة الصفحات ال 422 سلسة ومشوقة
August 28, 2014
This was such a pleasant surprise - Roy is a wonderful writer and I am ready to move to Ranikhet, a fictionalized version of where the author lives - it reminded me of Narayan's Malgudi. a kind of down-to-earth scale and while there is politics and danger and modern technology, there is also a kind of good-tempered contentment and humanity. There is a plot here but I found it less interesting than the creation of place and character.
Also, one of my favorite Bollywood songs - Dum Maro Dum - is a plot point.
Also, one of my favorite Bollywood songs - Dum Maro Dum - is a plot point.
August 19, 2017
Stupendous... The folded earth is a book where you will not wait for story to unroll...it is a book that weaves characters in such a detail and scenes so well expressed that filled life to them.. It was throughout the book that I could sense the damp smell of light house, could feel myself roaming around on those lonely roads of Ranikhet...Lovely narration, exciting plot and most enjoyable characters...
April 10, 2015
I enjoyed it. The descriptions of life in the cities and the rolling, mountainous countryside are wonderful.
It's beautifully written but...the plot is thin and I was left expecting more to happen, or be resolved or even to make clearer point. It was slightly disappointing and frustrating.
I think I have to read her previous book which I understand is better.
It's beautifully written but...the plot is thin and I was left expecting more to happen, or be resolved or even to make clearer point. It was slightly disappointing and frustrating.
I think I have to read her previous book which I understand is better.
June 6, 2021
The folded earth
Anuradha Roy
The folded earth is an evocative poignant read that negotiates passion and pain , hate and haughtiness with a vivid narrative skill from Roy.
Set in the beautiful mountainous backdrop of Ranikhet,
It’s the story of -Maya, suffering from the untimely loss of her husband whom she married against dictums of her society, retreating to hills for solace and a new beginning
-Diwan sahib , once a person of high royalty but now considered an eccentric and lunatic
-Charu , the poor village girl determined to live her life with the one she loves
-Veer, diwan sahib’s mysterious nephew who gets Maya to fall head over heels for him
And many more...
The book is filled with serenity and secrets that the hills hold and is equally thrilling when and how they are pursued. The story touched my heart and will surely stay with me .
Anuradha Roy
The folded earth is an evocative poignant read that negotiates passion and pain , hate and haughtiness with a vivid narrative skill from Roy.
Set in the beautiful mountainous backdrop of Ranikhet,
It’s the story of -Maya, suffering from the untimely loss of her husband whom she married against dictums of her society, retreating to hills for solace and a new beginning
-Diwan sahib , once a person of high royalty but now considered an eccentric and lunatic
-Charu , the poor village girl determined to live her life with the one she loves
-Veer, diwan sahib’s mysterious nephew who gets Maya to fall head over heels for him
And many more...
The book is filled with serenity and secrets that the hills hold and is equally thrilling when and how they are pursued. The story touched my heart and will surely stay with me .
December 7, 2020
3.5 to be more precise
Loved the geographical descriptions of the hills of Uttarakhand. Having been there myself quite a few times, it was an even great experience reading it.
The story was unique with its own bunch of further unique characters.
From life in hills, Hyderabad, pre-partition India, all sorts of animals, jim corbett, army, love, living alone......it had all sorts of things which I loved reading.
The writing was very fluid and poetic.
Also It has been some time that I finished something this fast i.e. 1 1/2 days :)
Looking forward to read her first novel now....
Loved the geographical descriptions of the hills of Uttarakhand. Having been there myself quite a few times, it was an even great experience reading it.
The story was unique with its own bunch of further unique characters.
From life in hills, Hyderabad, pre-partition India, all sorts of animals, jim corbett, army, love, living alone......it had all sorts of things which I loved reading.
The writing was very fluid and poetic.
Also It has been some time that I finished something this fast i.e. 1 1/2 days :)
Looking forward to read her first novel now....
December 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It had some of my favorite ingredients - Jim Corbett, a hilly town, Indian setting, Hyderabad.
Simple story telling, innocent characters and relatable events.
However, the climax was a bit unsettling for me, considering how it would have affected the life of so many characters.
A highly recommended read though!
Simple story telling, innocent characters and relatable events.
However, the climax was a bit unsettling for me, considering how it would have affected the life of so many characters.
A highly recommended read though!
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