Independence by Chitra Banerjee #BookReview

I had a hard time making up my mind about Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

I wanted to like it and, to be fair, it was an enjoyable read. And yet, it left me dissatisfied – a bit like going on a much-anticipated journey only to feel vaguely let down.

But let me begin with the synopsis

Set in 1946-47, in a small village near Calcutta, Independence tells the story of three sisters, Deepa, Jamini and Priya. Deepa, is the beautiful one and is her mother’s favourite. She dreams of marrying well and bringing prosperity to her family.

Priya the intelligent one is the youngest and dreams of becoming a doctor like her father. 

Jamini, the middle sister, is crippled in one leg. Though she’s a skilled quilt-maker and a devoted daughter she constantly struggles to make a place for herself in the affections of people around her.

The sisters’ lives are upturned when their father is killed in a riot. Their paths diverge from Bengal to Bangladesh and America, only to come together when one of them finds herself in a desperate situation.

The story unfolds through a third-person narrative from each of their points of view.

My review

Chitra Banerjee used to be my auto-buy author. Not only did I love her mystical realism (Mistress of Spices), but also her mythological retellings (Palace of Illusions). However, my favourites remained multi-generational sagas of large Bengali families (Sister of my Heart, Oleander Girl). 

With Independence, she comes back to tell exactly that kind of story — the story of a Bengali family set in the era of Indian independence. She reeled me in with her opening lines: ‘Here is a river like a slender silver chain, here is a village bordered by green-gold rice fields, here is a breeze smelling of sweet water rushes.’

Such imagery!

The very first sequence of Priya playing chess with Somnath Chowdhury is typical of a Chitra Banerjee novel – familiar and comfortable – setting the stage for an engrossing read.

Her descriptions of the bustling city of Calcutta’s New Market are as evocative as those of rural Bengal.

She goes on to create strong and layered characters, each distinct and equally intriguing (the sisters reminded me a little bit of Jane, Elizabeth and Mary from Pride and Prejudice, but no complaints there).

She imbues them with ambitions and motivations, again, each of them different, each valid and in line with the personalities of the characters.

And then she falters.

*********** Spoilers Ahead ************

While the characters are well-etched, none of them gets a decent arc and none of them ends up being likeable.

Deepa’s choices are sudden and unbelievably out of character. Is young love like that – reckless and incongruous? Blind to the horrors that surround it? Perhaps it is. Perhaps age has made me cynical but I couldn’t fit it in with Deepa’s character at all.

Then there’s Priya, annoyingly maddeningly self-righteous. She sacrifices everything to fulfil her life’s ambition but then gives it all up.

As for Jamini, she gets the rawest deal. Despite Banerjee’s attempts at providing her with reasons to behave the way she did, she comes out as petty and malicious with no saving grace. Even her tireless care for her mother stems from selfish reasons. And that is just sad.

In her attempt at crafting flawed personalities, the author fails each one of them, making them not just unrelatable, which can be forgiven, but also unlikeable. Such utter waste.

As for the other characters, let me not even begin to talk about them. They were paper thin and nothing to write about.

The next let-down is the narrative

It meanders needlessly from India to Bangladesh and America and then back to India. There are useless diversions that go nowhere, Dr Arthur’s character is a case in point as also references to Sarojini Naidu and Priya’s rendezvous with her.

Amit’s change of heart against Priya is understandable but then the reversal later on in the book is an incongruity. His marriage to Jamini seems contrived.

Given the cost of travel and all that is at stake for Priya, her travel to India is unjustifiably wasteful, especially back in those days, when a trip to or from a foreign country was a long drawn out cumbersome project.

There was such immense potential in each of the sister’s stories. The narrative laid it all to waste.

And then there is the climax

Not only is the rescue unbelievable, the death is unnecessary as well.

The author seems enamoured by the idea of the sisters coming together despite personal ambitions and differences. However, by the time the climax comes around Deepa, Jamini and Priya have drifted too far apart (both physically and emotionally) to make the coming together justified.

There really could have been many simpler, better endings.

Lastly, the inconsistency in writing and editing

With the opening line of the book I had anticipated a lyrical read, which it is, but only in bits and pieces. Poetic descriptions are followed by overly simplistic prose.

Punctuations (commas and full stops) are so obviously missing, I wonder if it is intentional (like in Girl, Woman, Other). Even if it is, it makes the reading uncomfortable. If it isn’t, well then I have nothing to say.

Let me reiterate, Independence isn’t a bad book, just that it could have been much better.

Last thought: If you’re a Chitra Banerjee loyalist, go for it but with lowered expectations.