Book Review: Lover’s Rock, by Ravi Bedi
Publisher: Rupa
Pages: 353
Buying Link: Amazon
The Indian
literary scene has gone through several changes, from being virtually
non-existent to high international visibility to what is threatening to become
a deluge of surprisingly-similar books focussed around romance and historical
re-tellings.
It is easy
for a book to get lost in this deluge, and that is precisely what I hope Lovers’ Rock by Ravi Bedi does not become, for it is definitely different from its
peers, not just in plotting but also in functioning in a genre that is not easy
to slot.
Plot
Lovers’ Rock is the story of Mani Shankar Varadharajan, a Flight Lieutenant with the Indian Air
Force, and his wife, Grace Wilson,
Anglo-Indian daughter of a Railway signalman. When the modest Mani marries the
flamboyant Grace, it sets into motion a series of events that takes the reader
on a journey from the Air Force base in Kalaikunda to the virgin beaches of
Digha, to Mumbai and Goa. But it also takes us on a journey into the minds of
the two protagonists, one a fundamentally good person drawn into evil, and the
other a reckless, petty one who suffers its consequences.
From the
society of the Air Force Base to the seedy hotels of Kolkata, from the
high-octane party scene in Goa to Mumbai’s art scene, Mr. Bedi depicts the
vicissitudes in the lives of both his characters quite well. [Spoiler Alert] Both are flawed people,
but perhaps what makes the difference in their lives is that while Mani finds
good people to stand by him at his lowest point in the kindly Aunt Jane, her sweet-tempered daughter Tanya and the canny art promoter Pestonjee, Grace pushes aside the
helping hand offered by the Gomez
family and hitches her wagon to the rascally Mark Braganza.
Characters
I spoke
earlier about Lovers’ Rock being
difficult to easily classify into genre. If I had to, I would say it is a form
of revenge fiction in the mould of the better genre fic writers of the last
century. This does mean that the characters in the story are driven by the
plot, rather than the other way around.
Mani and
Grace are undoubtedly complex and realistic characters, both flawed in their
own ways. By refraining from white-washing Mani and giving even Grace a moment
or two of good sense, Mr. Bedi does make them believable. Yet, as a reader I
felt their internal struggles and dilemmas could have been brought out more
strongly and would have given the story a layer of depth.
As it
stands, Grace in particular, felt a little too predictable in her ways, though
I wonder if this is a fair criticism, after all real people often have fewer
dimensions to their character than what we expect from those in fiction.
The other
characters in the story like Mark, Pestonjee, Aunt Jane and Tanya, as well as
minor characters like Fernandez the
moneylender and Patel the real
estate broker are definitely plot driven and adequate to their function within
the story without coming across as being well-fleshed-out.
The other things
Of books I
have had the opportunity to review lately, the cover of Lovers’ Rock stands out, bringing out just the right poignancy that
the story deserves. The editing is good as well, and Mr. Bedi’s writing is
smooth and after a slow start, the story picks up pace very well.
Fairly
fast-paced once it gets past the major plot point, Lovers’ Rock was an easy read, the language good without being
obscure and simple without pandering. In some places there was ‘tell’ which was
perhaps not necessary, and as I’ve said before, certain aspects like Grace’s
motivations at various stages could have made for a more emotionally-layered
story. Also, in some places the dialogue can be somewhat more formal than you would expect, which comes across as not quite natural.
Yet, this
is not a simple narrative, and by the ending it is apparent that this is not a
mere revenge fantasy or faux-literary posturing, but a fully-realised plot
written with an excellent understanding of its settings and subject.
Conclusion
Lovers’ Rock takes the readers on a journey through the
art scene of Mumbai, military society and Goa’s high-flying party scene, all
the while painting an interesting story of passion and revenge. Though there is room to be even better, the book remains a definite page-turner,
and the ending serves a form of poetic injustice that brings in just the right
tinge of realism.
Note
This will be among my last Book Reviews. I
have felt for a while that I need to take a break from it, and am inclined to
make it a long one. There should be two more before that happens, though.
It’s been fun.
Not really.
-
Nice review, Percy.
ReplyDeleteExcellent review—the kind that should make all the difference to me as a writer. Thank you, Percy, for your time and valuable suggestions. You made my day.
ReplyDeleteYou wrote: “It is easy for a book to get lost in this deluge, and that is precisely what I hope Lovers’ Rock by Ravi Bedi does not become, for it is definitely different from its peers, not just in plotting but also in functioning in a genre that is not easy to slot.”
Thank you for your kind words, but it is more or less lost in the deluge! I’m glad you enjoyed the story. CHEERS!