An Outline of the Republic

by Siddhartha Deb

Intrigued by a disturbing photograph of a woman, a young journalist in Calcutta embarks on a quest to learn the story behind the violent incident captured on film -- a strange odyssey that leads him to a volatile remote corner of India mired in civil strife and sustained by timber, drugs, and guns. Yet the truth he hopes to uncover is as uncertain as the mysterious woman he seeks, smoldering dangerously on the border between illusion and reality.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Siddhartha Deb is an Indian author who was educated in India and at Columbia University, US. Deb began his career in journalism as a sports journalist in Calcutta in 1994 before moving to Delhi to continue regular journalism.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amrit is a youngish Calcutta journalist, a non-religious Sikh, sent on an assignment to the far reaches of India, a lawless place where Burma, China and India lose definition in a murky no man’s land. Amrit is trying to track down the story behind a photograph of a woman held captive by a terrorist group. The ultimate focus, though, is on the mysterious Malik, leader of The Prosperity Project. Is he for real?

I read this during a period in which I was very, very sleepy on rides both to and from work. I found the book a quick read so I do not believe I was being lulled to unconsciousness by an uninteresting tale. Still, I was not altogether taken in. Deb’s methodology is to offer information, exposition through the mouths and written records of people Amrit encounters in his search. I suppose it is ok, but I found it a little cheesy, as if Deb had stitched together a few short stories he had lying about. The tone of the thing was quite engaging, calling to mind British writers like Graham Greene, Daniel Dafoe. He describes a part of the world in which civilization exists in a tenuous state. It is a very third world image he shows us, and I expect, from other reading, that it is probably accurate, in feel and core if not in specifics.

Somehow, though, I did not finish the book with a feeling of fulfillment. The protagonist had not really undergone a transformation, at least as far as I could tell. All that had been accomplished was to give us a window on a remote part of the world. Maybe there is something in there about human longing, the power of idealism, the disappointment of humanity. Maybe I missed something, and might have picked up more in a less fatigued state. Alas, I will never know. However, I did like the feel of his writing and expect that we will be seeing more of Mister Deb in future. He is definitely worth a second look.

[Royce Francis]

i found when i was wandering the info shop at 17th and Pennsylvania Ave in DC. this book was a great value and a great journey. set in the far eastern indian states of Manipur and Nagaland, along the border of Nepal, it is the story of the search for a woman in an old photo who may have been the victim of revolutionary violence while working for a mercurial NGO which everyone praises but has never seen. one thing that i loved about the book was deb’s way of allowing us to follow the personal development or struggles in the soul of a young journalist while never making any resolution to the story. although there is some description in the novel about the subjects of the search, many others who’ve read and reviewed this novel were very frustrated in what they thought to be a long-winded story about nothing. for me, that’s what i loved about it. a young professional trying to find himself, taking a risk on a story that had no leads and no credible conclusion. Seinfeld, a story about nothing, yet with a purpose. this book also confronts the reader with very independent and autonomous women characters. it is a detail american readers, confronted with indian news reports of gang rape and religious violence against women, will not fail to take note of.

this book was an adventure in imagination for me. more about bringing invisible folks to life than about making a splash. i found this a rewarding read and a good trip to the eastern outposts of India.

[Chris Wharton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novel set in the 1990s in that part of India that squeezes eastward over the top of Bangladesh and then opens into a whole other country, often seemingly forgotten as part of India, bordering Burma farther to the east. At the time (and perhaps still) it was an unruly area of tribal separatists, rebel groups seeking autonomy, bandits, exiled Burmese along the border, Indian military control and civil efforts at assimilation, oddball development schemes, etc. The story explores much of this lively atmosphere through a young journalist’s journey looking for a woman once photographed as an apparent captive or hostage of a rebel group. Very good on the complicated social setting (and geography—I followed much of the overland journey via Google maps). Some interesting colonial and WWII background also thrown in, although this may be packing a bit too much, and perhaps some stories within stories are a bit gratuitous by that token. Nonetheless, I quite liked it.

[Sandhya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sharp, riveting account of life in the borderline states of North-East, where a young, listless journalist, Amrit, is following up on a story.
While the book acutely lacks in depth, what manages to shine though is Siddhartha Deb's craftsmanship as a writer and a rare political consciousness.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still trying to read this book. I am right now in the world of bizarre whimsical ficiton mind set. I own this book, so some day I will read it. I just couldn't get into it at this moment.

[Marnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda felt that the story was obscured by a lot of other junk. I kept waiting for something to *happen*, but it never really did. Disappointing.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his more recent work, sort of an emptiness in its middle instead of a mood or idea.