The City of Good Death - Priyanka Champaneri

Fiction

Verdict: Read It (4/5)

Overview:

Another Bookworm find this novel is the first one I've read from Priyanka Champaneri.

The book opens with a family that has chosen to run a death hostel in Banares. As we come to understand what that means exactly, a long-lost cousin turns up dead, a ghost inhabits the hostel, and the guy who runs the hostel is forced to confront his past. The family he leaves behind, the girl his family told him to marry, and the love he had for his cousin are beautifully woven into the main plot.

What I Enjoyed:

Indians have a penchant for excellent storytelling, and this was indeed an excellent story. The story slowly unwinds, all the way until the end, leaving you contemplating many things along the way. Death rituals fascinate me (I'm an atheist) and the idea of a "Good Death" also was a new one for me. The author effortlessly captures what it looks like for an Indian who doesn't necessarily have the same beliefs but must cater to those beliefs no matter how silly it may seem. The slowly revealed flashbacks are an interesting insight and make the reader wonder how the protagonist appears so....normal. His background is nothing short of traumatic and his brother's death brings that to the forefront, as new trauma is known to do. It also highlighted the distinctly unique phenomenon of family lies that have long-standing consequences that come back out and haunt people. The characters do not seem well-developed at first, but the author has taken the time to unravel them by giving clues about family background as the novel goes on. Indians view trauma and its reappearing effects with a much more natural view than the Western world. It was refreshing to see trauma appear in a book in a non-forced, non fake way.

What I Disliked:

The supernatural element of a ghost rattling pots to make a point was something that was never explained. I'm not usually fond of the supernatural explanation when a simple one might do, but this episode did serve a purpose in the plot, so I'm inclined to excuse it. There were a few spots that dragged a bit, but in light of the entire work, I'm willing to excuse that as well.

Summary:

This was a contemplative read, as is anything that deals with existential matters. Even so, it's an extremely enjoyable read. It's not a tiny book. It will take a while, especially if you take the time to absorb the details and consider some of the non-obvious things the author is trying to say. Read it!

 

~Becky~