The Day in Shadow

by Nayantara Sahgal

The Day in Shadow can be read at several levels. It is about Simrit, who emerges from the shadows to find a new life with Raj. It is the story of Raj, a Christian, who passionately believes in freedom and refuses to accept fate as the answer to human problems. It is the story of Delhi on the threshold of unseen changes, and a new breed of politicians far removed from the compassion of Gandhi.


At every level it charms and delights, is thought provoking and subtle--a memorable novel from a writer known for her complex understanding of human emotions.

236 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Nayantara Sahgal is an Indian writer in English. Her fiction deals with India's elite responding to the crises engendered by political change. She was one of the first female Indian writers in English to receive wide recognition. She is a member of the Nehru family (not the Nehru-Gandhi family as she so often points out), the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit.
She was awarded the 1986 Sahitya Akademi Award for English, for her novel Rich Like Us (1985)awarded by India's National Academy of Letters.

Reviews

[Scott Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main characters in Sahgal's "The Day in Shadow" are a microcosm of modern India:
Sumri -- divorced Hindu woman, mother and writer
Som -- estranged husband, aggressive capitalist
Raj -- Christian-born, independent Indian politician
Sumer Singh -- wealthy politician, minister of state, communist-leaning
Ram Krishan -- Hindu activist and thinker
The tension in this novel focuses on the intertwining lives of the main characters: Sumri, Som and Raj as they struggle through a messy divorce proceeding. The challenging divorce is more than able to captivate the reader's attention throughout the novel, however the author also attempts to insert a plethora of weighty topics - - including the debate between capitalism and communism, Hinduism and Christianity, Indian independence and minority status. Weighty topics indeed for a novel of only 236 pages! Even though the novel seemed over-extended given the many themes and complex issues, I still enjoyed the brief view into the complexities of Indian culture and politics.

[Waqas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read Sahgal's books before and had no expectations going into this one, so surprisingly impressed by the contents. The characters are all stand-ins for ideologies and worldviews, which is not to say that they neither show emotions nor argue or be curious, but that the story is concerned with a political and philosophical question of nation-building for India. It's interesting to read it 50 years later and note that the ruthless politics and aggressive capitalism dreaded in the novel have given rise to the opposite of the 'good' the novel's characters theorised.

[Calomar · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are no gray zones in the characters, everyone seems to have a well defined behaviour as in a puppet theater.
However there's a kind of collection of good ideas and a little bit of history of India which makes the books worth reading.

[Shr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read.

[Sunil Cavale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nayantara Sahgal's rich insight into her characters and human emotions is what makes this book an amazing read. The story of a divorced woman coming to terms with her divorce settlement and the love she seeks thereafter might not be sufficient for a 236 page novel, but the author knits it well. Painting the social situation of India in the 50s and 60s, the novel encompasses politics, religion, ideas- West and East, free speech and love in an admirable way. Filled with witty lines, it takes you through a journey of human emotions. Go ahead, read it!