The Romantics by Pankaj Mishra
Published in hardback (1999)
By Picador an imprint of Macmillan Publishers
ISBN 0 330 39276
277 pages
Reviewed by Neeta Patel
Rating: (3 flames).
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The Romantics is Pankaj Mishra's debut novel, but one that places him firmly in the 'Indian writers elite.'

The story is a snapshot (albeit an extended seven year snapshot) in the life of Samar, a young graduate student living in Benares, India. Samar transfers to Benares from the University of Allahabad after his mother's death, and his father's decision to retreat to an Ashram in Pondicherry.

He arrives in Benares looking forward to the peace and tranquillity that this holy city has to offer. In this peaceful existence enter various characters: Diana West, his serene but aloof neighbour who introduces him to Mark, an American world-traveller, some-time Buddhist and philosopher, his 'common' girlfriend Debbie who never actually wanted to be in India and was hoping to travel to South America; Sarah, a German Buddhist and Catherine, a French woman whom Samar immediately falls in love with. We are also introduced to Anand, unemployed musician and Catherine's lover.

Samar's university life is described in a backdrop of student unrest and violence - led by the enigmatic figure of Rajesh who befriends Samar, and who is later uncloaked as the "goonda" behind much of the violence.

A chance invitation for Samar to join Catherine on a trip to the hill station of Mussoorie, rather predictably leads to the consummation of their mutual attraction. On returning to Benares, Samar realizes that Catherine is really in love with Anand. Seizing the opportunity to get away and visit his ailing father in Pondicherry, Samar embarks on what turns into a seven-year stay, teaching in Dharamshala.

Without giving the whole story away, I found that this book touched me in a way that I cannot easily explain. On the surface it's a story of a failed love affair, what it really describes to me is the passage of life set alongside the river of life and death (The Ganges).

Mishra describes daily life beautifully. Although I have never been to Benares, Mussoorie, Pondicherry or Dharamshala, through his prose, I could vividly see, hear and smell each setting. I enjoyed too his sharp descriptions of the humdrum "Mrs Pandhey (his landlady) and Shyam…looking up from a brass plate of finely chopped tomatoes, ginger and garlic to exchange muttered remarks". To my mind, they were firmly fixed to that brass plate throughout the book!

I await with bated breath the next book from this excellent writer.

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