Description
The Burning Elephant is a poignant novel set in Kolkata, capturing the tumultuous period before and after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. This remarkable story unfolds through the eyes of a young boy named Govinda, whose father serves as the headmaster of a local school. The narrative begins dramatically with an elephant's escape, which serves as a powerful metaphor for the impending turmoil that disrupts Govinda's once idyllic childhood. As the elephant is tragically shot and incinerated by police, readers are drawn into a narrative rich with themes of innocence, violence, and the loss of childhood amidst societal upheaval.
The novel deftly explores Govinda's experiences in the vibrant yet chaotic landscape of Serpent Lane, where the innocence of youth collides with the harsh realities of life. It sensitively portrays his family's struggles, including the unraveling of his parents’ relationship, against the backdrop of the larger sociopolitical tensions affecting India. The emotional weight of the story intensifies as the violence following Indira Gandhi's assassination compels Govinda's family to make the decision to migrate to Australia—a profound journey that reflects the trials of many who seek refuge in a new land.
This brand new edition, published in 2015 by Giramondo Publishing, is a must-read for those interested in contemporary literature that navigates complex themes of migration, identity, and societal conflict.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781922146922
Year: 2015
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing
Description:
The Burning Elephant is set in Kolkata before and after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which led to widespread violence against India's Sikh population. The novel is told from the point of view of a young boy Govinda, whose father is the headmaster of a local school. It begins with the intrusion into the schoolyard of an elephant that has escaped from its owner, and is seen as such a danger that he is immediately shot, then burnt by the police. This outbreak of violence in the idyllic world of childhood sets the tone for the novel as a whole, which gives the innocent yet knowing perspectives of Govinda in his engagement with the crowded and complex life of Serpent Lane outside the school, his awareness of the breakdown of the relationship between his parents, his sense that his own privileged life is under threat. The way the tensions in his family are rendered against the backdrop of the larger social tensions in India, while at the same time maintaining Govinda's child-like point of view, is particularly compelling.It is the outbreak of violence after Indira Gandhi's death which finally causes Govinda's father to migrate to Australia - and it is the implicit lesson of this novel, never spelt out, but felt throughout, that such horror is often a central fact of migration to this country.
The novel deftly explores Govinda's experiences in the vibrant yet chaotic landscape of Serpent Lane, where the innocence of youth collides with the harsh realities of life. It sensitively portrays his family's struggles, including the unraveling of his parents’ relationship, against the backdrop of the larger sociopolitical tensions affecting India. The emotional weight of the story intensifies as the violence following Indira Gandhi's assassination compels Govinda's family to make the decision to migrate to Australia—a profound journey that reflects the trials of many who seek refuge in a new land.
This brand new edition, published in 2015 by Giramondo Publishing, is a must-read for those interested in contemporary literature that navigates complex themes of migration, identity, and societal conflict.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781922146922
Year: 2015
Publisher: Giramondo Publishing
Description:
The Burning Elephant is set in Kolkata before and after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which led to widespread violence against India's Sikh population. The novel is told from the point of view of a young boy Govinda, whose father is the headmaster of a local school. It begins with the intrusion into the schoolyard of an elephant that has escaped from its owner, and is seen as such a danger that he is immediately shot, then burnt by the police. This outbreak of violence in the idyllic world of childhood sets the tone for the novel as a whole, which gives the innocent yet knowing perspectives of Govinda in his engagement with the crowded and complex life of Serpent Lane outside the school, his awareness of the breakdown of the relationship between his parents, his sense that his own privileged life is under threat. The way the tensions in his family are rendered against the backdrop of the larger social tensions in India, while at the same time maintaining Govinda's child-like point of view, is particularly compelling.It is the outbreak of violence after Indira Gandhi's death which finally causes Govinda's father to migrate to Australia - and it is the implicit lesson of this novel, never spelt out, but felt throughout, that such horror is often a central fact of migration to this country.