Tuesday, May 10, 2005

In-between world

What can I say about The In-between World of Vikram Lall? It was a rich book, like an Indian tapestry, with many colours and patterns. I liked the way the protaganist eked out his story in a slow memoir, a confession, which was his legacy in the end. In hearing his personal story the reader learns much about the history and politics of Kenya. In the book Lall's cool, secure haven in Canada is contrasted with the dangerous "hotbed" of his homeland- which in its turn was only his grandfather's adopted homeland. As several pointed out at our book circle, the title was very well chosen; Lall was always in-between ... in colour, in race, in politics, in citizenship. He never felt he truly belonged -or wasn't allowed to belong. He had done much wrong which he felt sorry for but tried to explain in his memoir. Eventually he HAD to go back and in so doing at least saved Joseph even if he could not save himself. I think I would like to read more books by MGVassanji

No comments:

Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song,
A medley of extemporanea;
And love is a thing that can never go wrong;
And I am Marie of Romania.
Dorothy Parker, Not So Deep as a Well (1937)