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Karna's Wheel
Secrets present. Secrets past. Secrets in India, where Stephen's grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephen's half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. Only by uncovering what has been hidden can Stephen win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own... Set in St Andrews, Scotland before the millennium; among the early-Twentieth century jute mills of Dundee; in the industrial underbelly of colonial Calcutta and on the epic plains of ancient India, Karna's Wheel is a poignant story about love, inheritance, and the things which make us what we are.
252 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2018
About the author
Michael Tobert
10 books231 followersMichael Tobert’s books have been either literary, historical or humorous (or a combination of all three). Frequently overlapping these categories, has been his deep interest in India.
Before he started writing, Michael went to Oxford University, started a publishing company of sorts and later studied the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, at the University of Edinburgh.
He lives in Scotland where he and his wife have built a Montessori nursery school at the bottom of their garden. While she nurtures the children, he scythes the nettles and whispers encouragement to the wild flowers.
His website is the place for more details: www.michaeltobertbooks.com
Before he started writing, Michael went to Oxford University, started a publishing company of sorts and later studied the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, at the University of Edinburgh.
He lives in Scotland where he and his wife have built a Montessori nursery school at the bottom of their garden. While she nurtures the children, he scythes the nettles and whispers encouragement to the wild flowers.
His website is the place for more details: www.michaeltobertbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 8, 2018
Sweet, lyrical and intriguing, "Karna's Wheel" isn't the kind of book I'd normally read, so I was pleasantly surprised to be sucked into a beautiful tale of a young man discovering himself and his heritage.
I couldn't help but feel that this would work better as a film, especially since a lot of the book is written in film script format, and it took a while to understand who everyone was and what the time period was. Still, it was well worth sticking with. It's a gentle tale that leaves you questioning the importance of family history and our genetics.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.
I couldn't help but feel that this would work better as a film, especially since a lot of the book is written in film script format, and it took a while to understand who everyone was and what the time period was. Still, it was well worth sticking with. It's a gentle tale that leaves you questioning the importance of family history and our genetics.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.
September 28, 2018
Reading Michael Tobert's new novel, Karna's Wheel sometimes has the feel of a bad acid trip. Perhaps if I was a Hindu scholar who knew, and understood, the epic Mahabharata in which Karna is a central figure some of the seemingly disconnected and delusional events in this story would make sense.
Our protagonist, Stephen, is a professor at a Scottish university. He has a keen interest in wooing and winning an aloof Icelandic female, Julia, who loves stories. His mother, in Dundee, who may be a junkie and a prostitute dies and leaves him boxes full of her father's personal papers. Stephen has never known his grandfather but his academic training allows him to open the boxes in a slow methodical manner and study each document.
He soon learns that his grandfather had left his native Dundee, home of the last century's major jute mills, to work in the jute mills of Calcutta. While working in colonial India he is one of the revered white bosses who can hire and fire the locals at will. He witnesses many abuses of the workers, not just in the working conditions of the mill but also in the form of usury, slum landlords and demanding sexual favours.
While Stephen is working his way through his grandfather's paper's his roommate, who appears to be a deranged Irish leprechaun named Seamus decides to use Stephen's grandfather's life story to write a nonsensical movie script for development in Hollywood. Meanwhile the police have deemed the death of Stephen's mother as suspicious and keep tuning up and asking obscure questions about his childhood.
Eventually all is resolved – the romance, the true identity of Stephen's parents, the future of Seamus' movie – and the reader can return to reality.
I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Our protagonist, Stephen, is a professor at a Scottish university. He has a keen interest in wooing and winning an aloof Icelandic female, Julia, who loves stories. His mother, in Dundee, who may be a junkie and a prostitute dies and leaves him boxes full of her father's personal papers. Stephen has never known his grandfather but his academic training allows him to open the boxes in a slow methodical manner and study each document.
He soon learns that his grandfather had left his native Dundee, home of the last century's major jute mills, to work in the jute mills of Calcutta. While working in colonial India he is one of the revered white bosses who can hire and fire the locals at will. He witnesses many abuses of the workers, not just in the working conditions of the mill but also in the form of usury, slum landlords and demanding sexual favours.
While Stephen is working his way through his grandfather's paper's his roommate, who appears to be a deranged Irish leprechaun named Seamus decides to use Stephen's grandfather's life story to write a nonsensical movie script for development in Hollywood. Meanwhile the police have deemed the death of Stephen's mother as suspicious and keep tuning up and asking obscure questions about his childhood.
Eventually all is resolved – the romance, the true identity of Stephen's parents, the future of Seamus' movie – and the reader can return to reality.
I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2018
Fascinating and intriguing novel taking you into the world of the Scottish Raj in the early 20th century. Highly ambitious, the book weaves together Hindu mythology and Imperial history in a mind-bending story of secrets, love and the pain of inheritance. Anyone with an interest in India will enjoy this book.
September 11, 2018
A beautiful and well written novel with a well reaserched historical background.
The plot was moving and engaging, the characters well written and I loved the style of writing.
A bit slow at part it takes a bit to get going.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt and Netgalley for this ARC
The plot was moving and engaging, the characters well written and I loved the style of writing.
A bit slow at part it takes a bit to get going.
Recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt and Netgalley for this ARC
December 20, 2018
I read Karna's Wheel each evening bit by bit while driving the perimeter of the US. Having lost my reading muscle mass courtesy of Audible.com, tucking into modern St Andrews, Raj-era Calcutta, Scottish slang, lyrical Sanskrit, jute production, opium bowls, a virtual storyboard and shooting script (and that's not all), meant I've not in a long time worked so hard nor enjoyed a book more. It was Marquez, Welles, Scherazade, and The Princess Bride. The palette was sepia, notwithstanding bright days in Calcutta, and the beach on the West Sands. The story time-traveled, and was a good mystery. But it was Mr. Tobert's adroit and joyful play with language's rhythm and flow that made his characters endearing and dimensional, and seduced me to read and re-read. I look forward to the sequel (and the movie)!
October 10, 2018
A remarkable, multi-layered narrative that slowly unravels to reveal the truth behind life-changing secrets. Three stories intertwined (mythology, past and present time) aim to answer the most fundamental questions – who are we supposed to be and who can we become. A thoughtful reflection on colonialism and the importance of knowing where you are from. The rich, vivid descriptions – whether in contemporary St Andrews, early Twentieth century Dundee, colonial Calcutta or ancient India – and imaginative character depictions make this novel truly gripping. It ends with a poignant denouement that lingers with you. I can’t recommend this book enough.
November 28, 2018
Once again I would like to give my appreciation to NetGalley for providing a kindle copy of this book for me to read and impartially review.
According the 'Blurb' associated with this book, this is a story of Secrets present. Secrets past. Secrets in India, where Stephen’s grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephen’s half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. And it is only by uncovering what has been hidden that Stephen can win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own which Stephen has to earn the right to hear.
Set in St Andrews, among the jute mills of Dundee (1915-23), in the industrial underbelly of colonial Calcutta (1923-46) and on the epic plains of ancient India, Karna’s Wheel is a poignant story of love, inheritance, and the things which make us what we are.
Upon the death of his Mother Our hero Stephen inherits four boxes of his grandfathers memorabilia, and egged on by his somewhat eccentric roommate Seamus they set about exploring this family history to produce a 'screenplay'. Whilst unravelling this story Stephen discovers some surprising facts, solves some of the secrets past and present, some good some bad with lots of surprises along the way, especially when the police get involved following his mothers death.
This is a complex and for those of us whose memory is not what it was sometimes confusing story, as it alternates between past and present, but ultimately clever entertaining and often witty. Well written with superb characterisation and a real feel for the times portrayed.
Recommended.
According the 'Blurb' associated with this book, this is a story of Secrets present. Secrets past. Secrets in India, where Stephen’s grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephen’s half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. And it is only by uncovering what has been hidden that Stephen can win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own which Stephen has to earn the right to hear.
Set in St Andrews, among the jute mills of Dundee (1915-23), in the industrial underbelly of colonial Calcutta (1923-46) and on the epic plains of ancient India, Karna’s Wheel is a poignant story of love, inheritance, and the things which make us what we are.
Upon the death of his Mother Our hero Stephen inherits four boxes of his grandfathers memorabilia, and egged on by his somewhat eccentric roommate Seamus they set about exploring this family history to produce a 'screenplay'. Whilst unravelling this story Stephen discovers some surprising facts, solves some of the secrets past and present, some good some bad with lots of surprises along the way, especially when the police get involved following his mothers death.
This is a complex and for those of us whose memory is not what it was sometimes confusing story, as it alternates between past and present, but ultimately clever entertaining and often witty. Well written with superb characterisation and a real feel for the times portrayed.
Recommended.
September 21, 2018
Secrets past. Secrets present. Secrets in India where Stephen's grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephens half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. Only by uncovering what has been hidden can Stephen win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own.
Set in St. Andrews, Scotland before the millennium and in India from 1923 -46. When Stephen meets Juliaits love at first sight. He tries to win her over by telling her a story. When his mother dies, he inherits boxes that contain his grandfathers papers and drawings. Stephen and his flat mate decide to make a movie, the script based around Stephens grandfathers life in Dundee and Calcutta.
There is obviously a lot of history surrounding this book, it the descriptive text makes this a very slow moving plot. In parts, I'm afraid, I found it quite confusing and boring. I know people call their son/daughters after their parent/grandparents (I did it myself) but this just confused me more with Stephen and his grandfather having the same name. The author has certainly done plenty of research for writing this book. Sadly, this book was not for me although I do know a couple of friends who would really enjoy it.
I would like to thank NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and the author Michael Tonert for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in St. Andrews, Scotland before the millennium and in India from 1923 -46. When Stephen meets Juliaits love at first sight. He tries to win her over by telling her a story. When his mother dies, he inherits boxes that contain his grandfathers papers and drawings. Stephen and his flat mate decide to make a movie, the script based around Stephens grandfathers life in Dundee and Calcutta.
There is obviously a lot of history surrounding this book, it the descriptive text makes this a very slow moving plot. In parts, I'm afraid, I found it quite confusing and boring. I know people call their son/daughters after their parent/grandparents (I did it myself) but this just confused me more with Stephen and his grandfather having the same name. The author has certainly done plenty of research for writing this book. Sadly, this book was not for me although I do know a couple of friends who would really enjoy it.
I would like to thank NetGalley, John Hunt Publishing Ltd and the author Michael Tonert for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2018
Thank you John Hunt Publishing for the eARC.
A beautifully written historical novel that takes place in Scotland in 1999 and Calcutta, India from 1923- 46.
In Edinburgh Stephen meets Julia and falls head over heels. He has to win her over by telling a story, but when his half-Indian, half-Scottish mother dies and he doesn't invite Julia to her funeral, Julia pulls back.
He has inherited boxes containing his grandfather's papers and drawings and he and his flatmate, Seamus, decide to co-write a movie script based on his grandfather's life in Dundee and Calcutta.
What a story this is! So evocative, thrilling and quirky, I absolutely loved it. The history of the Raj and the jute trade, both in Scotland and India, make for fascinating reading. The secrets that come out of his research and writing were shocking and sad, but the ending was excellent, very satisfactory. I liked all the characters; Seamus in particular is appealing and got me chuckling quite a bit. A must read that deserves to be a big hit.
A beautifully written historical novel that takes place in Scotland in 1999 and Calcutta, India from 1923- 46.
In Edinburgh Stephen meets Julia and falls head over heels. He has to win her over by telling a story, but when his half-Indian, half-Scottish mother dies and he doesn't invite Julia to her funeral, Julia pulls back.
He has inherited boxes containing his grandfather's papers and drawings and he and his flatmate, Seamus, decide to co-write a movie script based on his grandfather's life in Dundee and Calcutta.
What a story this is! So evocative, thrilling and quirky, I absolutely loved it. The history of the Raj and the jute trade, both in Scotland and India, make for fascinating reading. The secrets that come out of his research and writing were shocking and sad, but the ending was excellent, very satisfactory. I liked all the characters; Seamus in particular is appealing and got me chuckling quite a bit. A must read that deserves to be a big hit.
December 6, 2022
‘The universe, for once in its life, might be on my side’ - A delightful journey
UK author Michael Tolbert, now living in Scotland, is an Oxford University graduate and also studied at the University of Edinburgh. His novels to date - THE MATING CALL OF THE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO, PILGRIMS IN THE ROUGH, CRYPTOGRAM, and now KARNA’S WHEEL. It is obvious from the title of this book that Michael is a devotee of Indian/Hindu literature: Karna is the hero of the epic Mahabharata, and Indian culture weaves through this colorful story.
The writing of this immersive novel is richly eloquent, creating magic in even the most mundane situations, as the opening attests: ‘A butterfly lapped its wings and I caught my toe on a cobblestone. Spinning left round the corner rather than straight on, and struggling for balance, I became aware of images: her nose pressed into the windowpane of that second-hand bookshop, her intense, almost childlike concentration, the shape of her legs between black ankle boots and short black coat. Just images, just mind photos, but also something more; some instinct deeper than desire which made me stand at Julia’s side and follow her gaze through the bookshop window…’ Julia’s attention is captured by a Sanskrit dictionary, and the imagination of Stephen’s meanderings through this jewel-encrusted story begins: ‘Secrets present. Secrets past. Secrets in India, where Stephen’s grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephen’s half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. Only by uncovering what has been hidden can Stephen win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own... Set in St Andrews, Scotland before the millennium; among the early-Twentieth century jute mills of Dundee; in the industrial underbelly of colonial Calcutta and on the epic plains of ancient India, Karna’s Wheel is a poignant story about love, inheritance, and the things which make us what we are.’
The story is kaleidoscopic, traveling through various time frames, and addressing colonialism, class, screenwriting, the myriad aspects of the jute industry...and love, and it succeeds because of Michael Tolbert’s unique phraseology and poetic prose. This is a novel to be enjoyed by lingering on each page, just for the beauty of the words, but also for the insights into greater ideas. Recommended
I voluntarily reviewed and complimentary copy of this book
UK author Michael Tolbert, now living in Scotland, is an Oxford University graduate and also studied at the University of Edinburgh. His novels to date - THE MATING CALL OF THE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO, PILGRIMS IN THE ROUGH, CRYPTOGRAM, and now KARNA’S WHEEL. It is obvious from the title of this book that Michael is a devotee of Indian/Hindu literature: Karna is the hero of the epic Mahabharata, and Indian culture weaves through this colorful story.
The writing of this immersive novel is richly eloquent, creating magic in even the most mundane situations, as the opening attests: ‘A butterfly lapped its wings and I caught my toe on a cobblestone. Spinning left round the corner rather than straight on, and struggling for balance, I became aware of images: her nose pressed into the windowpane of that second-hand bookshop, her intense, almost childlike concentration, the shape of her legs between black ankle boots and short black coat. Just images, just mind photos, but also something more; some instinct deeper than desire which made me stand at Julia’s side and follow her gaze through the bookshop window…’ Julia’s attention is captured by a Sanskrit dictionary, and the imagination of Stephen’s meanderings through this jewel-encrusted story begins: ‘Secrets present. Secrets past. Secrets in India, where Stephen’s grandfather is a lowly functionary in the engine room of the Raj. Secrets at home, held tightly by Stephen’s half-Indian, half-Scottish mother. Only by uncovering what has been hidden can Stephen win Julia, a woman with secrets of her own... Set in St Andrews, Scotland before the millennium; among the early-Twentieth century jute mills of Dundee; in the industrial underbelly of colonial Calcutta and on the epic plains of ancient India, Karna’s Wheel is a poignant story about love, inheritance, and the things which make us what we are.’
The story is kaleidoscopic, traveling through various time frames, and addressing colonialism, class, screenwriting, the myriad aspects of the jute industry...and love, and it succeeds because of Michael Tolbert’s unique phraseology and poetic prose. This is a novel to be enjoyed by lingering on each page, just for the beauty of the words, but also for the insights into greater ideas. Recommended
I voluntarily reviewed and complimentary copy of this book
September 4, 2018
The plot is very slowly moving due to descriptive text. As a result, I was not able to finish reading this book.
September 18, 2018
This novel was slower than I anticipated so I had a hard time getting into the story. I did end up liking it--but not loving it. Some of the switches from past to present were confusing but I did enjoy the different locales and the history of those places. Obviously a well-written and well-researched novel...just not my cup of tea.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
October 4, 2018
I have been giving this book a lot of thought. I finished it a few days ago and have spent the intervening time trying to sort out my opinions.
There was a great deal to enjoy. The writing was fluid, beautiful, but easy to read the historical sections felt real and alive. I could so vividly picture everything described, and I greatly enjoyed that part.
The book as a whole has a rather dreamlike feel to it, one thing flows into the next and then into the next. It is very fluid, and sometimes between shared names and that odd flow it could take a moment to sort out just where in the timeline the story was taking place at a given moment. Fortunately the confusion never lasted terribly long, and for all the odd structure of it there was a certain logic to the way time flowed back and forth that likely read far more effortlessly than it was to achieve in writing.
If I were to hit on some of what made this a three star read for me. I felt as though the modern sections of the story didn't carry quite the weight or interest the historical sections did. I liked the characters in Calcutta better, and felt for them more. I am not sure I might not have enjoyed it more had it focused solely on that. Though the element of mystery at the core of the modern story was certainly intriguing as well.
In some ways despite the far flung locales and the delves into history this is at its core an extremely internal book. It was very intriguing to read, but also added to the odd dreamlike feel, like slipping into bits of other peoples' lives. The story itself was terribly tragic but in some ways still oddly beautiful.
Overall this was a solid three star read for me. I very much enjoyed the history, I liked the concept of slowly unraveling a family story, and I think the feel of it will linger in my thoughts for some time, even if parts of the story do not carry as much weight as that sensation.
I received a free eARC through Netgalley in exchange for a review.
There was a great deal to enjoy. The writing was fluid, beautiful, but easy to read the historical sections felt real and alive. I could so vividly picture everything described, and I greatly enjoyed that part.
The book as a whole has a rather dreamlike feel to it, one thing flows into the next and then into the next. It is very fluid, and sometimes between shared names and that odd flow it could take a moment to sort out just where in the timeline the story was taking place at a given moment. Fortunately the confusion never lasted terribly long, and for all the odd structure of it there was a certain logic to the way time flowed back and forth that likely read far more effortlessly than it was to achieve in writing.
If I were to hit on some of what made this a three star read for me. I felt as though the modern sections of the story didn't carry quite the weight or interest the historical sections did. I liked the characters in Calcutta better, and felt for them more. I am not sure I might not have enjoyed it more had it focused solely on that. Though the element of mystery at the core of the modern story was certainly intriguing as well.
In some ways despite the far flung locales and the delves into history this is at its core an extremely internal book. It was very intriguing to read, but also added to the odd dreamlike feel, like slipping into bits of other peoples' lives. The story itself was terribly tragic but in some ways still oddly beautiful.
Overall this was a solid three star read for me. I very much enjoyed the history, I liked the concept of slowly unraveling a family story, and I think the feel of it will linger in my thoughts for some time, even if parts of the story do not carry as much weight as that sensation.
I received a free eARC through Netgalley in exchange for a review.
December 27, 2018
Stephen Smith’s mother has died. He has inherited the few things she owned- which include some boxes of her father’s memoirs. His flatmate, Seamus, talks him into reading them and then using them as the basis of a screenplay. Turns out Stephen Smith (using the same name for two characters caused a fair bit of confusion for me), having tired of working in the jute mills in Dundee, packed it in, moved to Calcutta in 1923…. To work in the jute factories there. The journals cover a lot of years, and they reveal the nasty racism that was rife in the white owned factories- and pretty much everything else the whites ran in India.
A couple of side plots in the current time run alongside this reading of the past: One is Stephen’s fraught relationship with Julia; the other is the investigation of Stephen’s mother by Detective McCorquodale. The detective thinks Stephen’s mother was selling drugs, and wants to go through every single thing she owned, including tearing out things in her flat. Stephen learns a lot about his family- and himself- through the novel.
The story was interesting, but it moved very slowly. I got confused several times, switching between times and characters. There was a lot of detail in the Calcutta sections, and those were the parts I liked best, although they were horribly grim. I got bored at times, and even desperately wanted the story to come to an end a few times. There are good things in the book, but somehow they just didn’t come together for me. Three stars.
A couple of side plots in the current time run alongside this reading of the past: One is Stephen’s fraught relationship with Julia; the other is the investigation of Stephen’s mother by Detective McCorquodale. The detective thinks Stephen’s mother was selling drugs, and wants to go through every single thing she owned, including tearing out things in her flat. Stephen learns a lot about his family- and himself- through the novel.
The story was interesting, but it moved very slowly. I got confused several times, switching between times and characters. There was a lot of detail in the Calcutta sections, and those were the parts I liked best, although they were horribly grim. I got bored at times, and even desperately wanted the story to come to an end a few times. There are good things in the book, but somehow they just didn’t come together for me. Three stars.
October 21, 2018
This is a book of two time periods - 1990s Scotland and the early 20th century Glasgow & India jute trade. We follow Stephen Smith as he traces his Grandfather's (also caused Stephen Smith) life in the jute trade leaving Glasgow for India and back again.
The big issue for me with this book was the style of writing. I found it overly flowery and descriptive - why use 5 words when you can use 25? This led me to get ratrher bored at times & very close to giving up. To be honest I did give up a couple of times but went back later to finish it. Don't get me wrong, I like description, particularly historical description but this was way over the top. The writing rather meadered off the point. Coupled with the use of parallels time periods which changed without clear deliniation between the two. This was compounded by having two characters with the same name, one in each time period.
There is an interesting book in there but I just couldn't get on with the writing style.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
The big issue for me with this book was the style of writing. I found it overly flowery and descriptive - why use 5 words when you can use 25? This led me to get ratrher bored at times & very close to giving up. To be honest I did give up a couple of times but went back later to finish it. Don't get me wrong, I like description, particularly historical description but this was way over the top. The writing rather meadered off the point. Coupled with the use of parallels time periods which changed without clear deliniation between the two. This was compounded by having two characters with the same name, one in each time period.
There is an interesting book in there but I just couldn't get on with the writing style.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
January 5, 2023
Karna’s Wheel by Michael Tobert is a novel full of life-changing and sometimes disturbing secrets. All of this relates to Stephen Smith the main protagonist’s family history. The secrets are revealed as this multi-layered story unfolds. There are a couple of other sub-plots interwoven into the main plot too (the suspicious death of Stephens mother and the relationship of Stephen and Julia, who’s heart he tries to win).
This is a strange but beautiful novel of one mans life journey, finding himself and who he is, from the secrets of his family’s roots. I found Karna’s Wheel came across as a well-researched novel, it certainly felt very convincing as I read. It is plot driven to an extent, although Stephen is a very well-rounded and compelling character. Everything plays out in a creative and cleverly devised way. This is recommended, read from me, especially if you have an interest in the cultural aspects mentioned in the synopsis.
This is a strange but beautiful novel of one mans life journey, finding himself and who he is, from the secrets of his family’s roots. I found Karna’s Wheel came across as a well-researched novel, it certainly felt very convincing as I read. It is plot driven to an extent, although Stephen is a very well-rounded and compelling character. Everything plays out in a creative and cleverly devised way. This is recommended, read from me, especially if you have an interest in the cultural aspects mentioned in the synopsis.
January 2, 2023
Karna's Wheel by Michael Tobert is written in an evocative style, one that pulls you in quickly with its different layers describing people, places, and emotional complexities. The settings are well-described and set a lovely backdrop for the exposure of familial secrets. The historical nature of the book is underscored by the author's ability to dissect the impact of colonialism on a personal level, impacting families, and society overall. Lyrically written, this book draws you in, the loosely packed writing still highly descriptive, evoking time and place. Definitely a great read, and one that will linger for a while. Recommended.
January 22, 2023
I found this story to be quite confusing. It went from present day to historical without delineating the times well. Stephen is trying to understand his ancestry by researching his grandfather's story. Meanwhile, he is weaving a story of ancient times for his lover, Julia. There are scripts that Stephen and his roommate Seamus are going to develop regarding the grandfather, also Stephen, and his life in India. There is the story Stephen is telling Julia. Finally, there is the story of Stephen's mother and her questionable death. I also couldn't understand the dialog at times.
If I were more knowledgeable about India, this may have been more interesting to me.
If I were more knowledgeable about India, this may have been more interesting to me.
December 3, 2018
An interesting, and at times disturbing story, of a man exploring the mysteries of his roots. A half Scottish half Indian young man, peeling back the layers which conceal his past, his grandfather's dark years in India, and his mother's tragic life. Well researched, and certainly told in a creative manner: partially a movie script, partially decoding old letters, as well as laced with current time love story and the main character finding his own special soul mate. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-reader copy for my review, all opinions are my own.
September 14, 2018
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story was very interesting. I just found that it got confusing in some places, especially where it just switched to the past, because the grandfather's name is also Stephen, and boring in others, when the fixations on the descriptions were so long. But other than that, it was nice to read.
The story was very interesting. I just found that it got confusing in some places, especially where it just switched to the past, because the grandfather's name is also Stephen, and boring in others, when the fixations on the descriptions were so long. But other than that, it was nice to read.
October 1, 2018
This was a very well written novel with a complex and varying storyline which traces a family history, a budding romance, friendship and storytelling. For me there were times the flow of the narrative faltered and some of the characterisation was not fully formed. However, it was also a very different way of creating the multiple narratives and unique writing style which i ma very glad i read
November 13, 2018
I was able to get a few chapters in, but no farther. The writing style was all over the place and I felt it had no direction. I was constantly finding myself confused and going back to find out what I had missed as events seem to come out of the blue with no lead in. The characters were intriguing and I wish I could have learned more about them, but there are too many books to read to slog through a muddled manuscript.
October 25, 2024
2.5/5
A story set in Scotland in 1999, and in India and scotland from like 1914-1946.
does what it says, except the part in India is the script for a movie, still good though.
I'd say it's okay, 2.5, mediocre.
Not really much else to say.
A story set in Scotland in 1999, and in India and scotland from like 1914-1946.
does what it says, except the part in India is the script for a movie, still good though.
I'd say it's okay, 2.5, mediocre.
Not really much else to say.
June 21, 2023
I loved it from beginning to end, it is a great book that is worth reading
January 26, 2019
Karna’s Wheel is fascinating, to say the least, and the incorporation of legends from Mahabharata gives it a certain quality. There is also a uniqueness to the method of writing; some parts are written in conventional fictional narrative style, and others incorporate screenwriting style i.e. camera movements and focus change.
I appreciated Michael Tobert’s humour. The author has his characters do several *nudge nudge wink wink* statements that are sure to crack a smile. For instance, the dialect used by Dundees in dialogues is spelt as it’s heard in this book. Observe:
‘Ull keep haud o this,’ she says as she reaches for it, ‘wi dinna wanna gay an drap it.’
This was a simple example. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what some of those dialogues actually say. It gives it an authentic feel but it does get old because I have to slow down and read so hard to try to understand what’s being said. Soon enough, one of the characters says the following – he was talking with the main character Stephen about the book they’re writing together about Stephen’s grandfather:
‘And, by the way, I’ve taken out all the Dundee lingo stuff, except on occasions when I think it has to be in there. We don’t want the audience demanding their money back because they can’t understand the half of what they’re hearing.’
Thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd for pre-approving me for a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and are based on the advanced digital review copy.
Read full review on Bookmarks & Blue Light
I appreciated Michael Tobert’s humour. The author has his characters do several *nudge nudge wink wink* statements that are sure to crack a smile. For instance, the dialect used by Dundees in dialogues is spelt as it’s heard in this book. Observe:
‘Ull keep haud o this,’ she says as she reaches for it, ‘wi dinna wanna gay an drap it.’
This was a simple example. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what some of those dialogues actually say. It gives it an authentic feel but it does get old because I have to slow down and read so hard to try to understand what’s being said. Soon enough, one of the characters says the following – he was talking with the main character Stephen about the book they’re writing together about Stephen’s grandfather:
‘And, by the way, I’ve taken out all the Dundee lingo stuff, except on occasions when I think it has to be in there. We don’t want the audience demanding their money back because they can’t understand the half of what they’re hearing.’
Thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd for pre-approving me for a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and are based on the advanced digital review copy.
Read full review on Bookmarks & Blue Light
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September 19, 2018Netgalley
pub date Dec 4, 2018
Top Hat Books
pub date Dec 4, 2018
Top Hat Books
September 25, 2018
A wonderfully lyrical if occasionally confusing book following one man's attempt to better understand his family's history , and how that influenced his mother and by extension himself. Stephen can trace his maternal grandfather to the jute mills of Dundee in the early twentieth century, and from there to colonial India where he met and married an Indian woman. Their child , Stephen's mother seems to have struggled her entire life to balance between the two halves of her heritage, and this struggle deeply impacted on her relationship with her son. As he struggles to unravel the past, secrets will be revealed which may explain her struggle, and give Stephen a sense of his true history
Populated by larger than life characters, particularly Stephen's friend and co author Seamus, and with a compelling plot, this book has a lot going for it, including a beautifully lyrical prose style and a central narrative that keeps the reader paying attention. This is important because the book does also have some flaws, most notably the decision to have two characters in different eras with the same name, then jump from one timeline to another without any obvious break, making it difficult at times to know which character is on the page. While I liked the writing, I am sure others may find it too descriptive, and feel like the book becomes meandering at times.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Populated by larger than life characters, particularly Stephen's friend and co author Seamus, and with a compelling plot, this book has a lot going for it, including a beautifully lyrical prose style and a central narrative that keeps the reader paying attention. This is important because the book does also have some flaws, most notably the decision to have two characters in different eras with the same name, then jump from one timeline to another without any obvious break, making it difficult at times to know which character is on the page. While I liked the writing, I am sure others may find it too descriptive, and feel like the book becomes meandering at times.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
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March 4, 2019There are two Stephens in this book – the grandfather and the grandson – both from Dundee, the city of jute. Stephen the younger inherits his grandfather’s notebooks when his half-Indian mother mysteriously dies and decides he wants to work them up into a film script. He is assisted in this endeavour by the Leprechaun-like Séamus and at times it is unclear who is writing the script as Séamus takes on Stephen's writing persona and Stephen takes on Séamus’s version of himself. Identities are fluid it seems.
Stephen the grandfather works in the jute mills in the early 20th century but after falling out of favour moves to India, only to work in the jute mills there. He falls in love with Ranjana, a radical supporter of Home Rule and finds himself torn between the British Raj and the Indian people fighting for their rights.
Stephen the grandson lives in St Andrews and is obsessed with Julia who says she comes from Provideniye but Julia demands more honesty and openness from him than he is capable of giving. Only by revealing truths about himself and his estranged mother can he draw Julia back to him. However, Stephen’s obsession with himself is perhaps greater than his obsession with Julia.
His mother, Kitty, had her own secrets, in which Stephen seems largely uninterested, despite a police enquiry into her activities.
No one is quite who they seem in this book and everyone has secrets, or at least hidden aspects of themselves. The language is at times exquisite and at times prosaic. The novel experiments with dialect but gives it up as unnecessary – as indeed it is for the voices of different nationalities are clear enough without it. Form is also occasionally part of the experiment, as is structure, but this is not a difficult book to read. It hints at Joyce but never quite goes down that road.
Mysterious and compelling, the story draws one in and though the sections on Karna, the Hindu god, are often obscure, in the end it is a fulfilling read.
I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Stephen the grandfather works in the jute mills in the early 20th century but after falling out of favour moves to India, only to work in the jute mills there. He falls in love with Ranjana, a radical supporter of Home Rule and finds himself torn between the British Raj and the Indian people fighting for their rights.
Stephen the grandson lives in St Andrews and is obsessed with Julia who says she comes from Provideniye but Julia demands more honesty and openness from him than he is capable of giving. Only by revealing truths about himself and his estranged mother can he draw Julia back to him. However, Stephen’s obsession with himself is perhaps greater than his obsession with Julia.
His mother, Kitty, had her own secrets, in which Stephen seems largely uninterested, despite a police enquiry into her activities.
No one is quite who they seem in this book and everyone has secrets, or at least hidden aspects of themselves. The language is at times exquisite and at times prosaic. The novel experiments with dialect but gives it up as unnecessary – as indeed it is for the voices of different nationalities are clear enough without it. Form is also occasionally part of the experiment, as is structure, but this is not a difficult book to read. It hints at Joyce but never quite goes down that road.
Mysterious and compelling, the story draws one in and though the sections on Karna, the Hindu god, are often obscure, in the end it is a fulfilling read.
I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
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