The Far Field: A review

Book: The Far Field

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Author: Madhuri Vijay

Genre: Political/ Domestic Fiction

Publisher: Fourth Estate

With every character with his own story to recite, and a protagonist who becomes hard to love on occasions, I would say I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. In her writing, Vijay has made the book so nuanced at times, that you’re confused whether you’re reading a work of fiction, or is it someone’s reality.

There are many plots, yet some really struck my chords. Indians who do not belong to Kashmir can’t really understand Kashmir, and I find myself guilty too. The beautiful valley has been under a state of turmoil for as long as one can remember, and because the beginning of it all seems so blurred, it becomes harder to understand its roots and reality. I surely saw the intricacies of religious conflict and the disparity within Kashmir in a new light. The world that we see around us, we are able to see as more grey than black or white. But when we are to look at people and places that have limited connections with us, we somehow become creatures of absolute opinions leaving no space for any reason to sway our needles in the middle, rather than thinking in a polarised fashion. That said, I am sure you will be more considerable with your knowledge of Kashmir after you read this.

I believe this book is the articulation for the feeling of longing to belong. Shalini, our narrator, and the protagonist is 30 years old, and she bountifully mentions this thing in the first line itself. She is someone you will love and frown upon as you go about the book, rest assured when you’ll look back you will see the character for what she was because she was loving, needy, confused, pitiful, unfaithful but more than anything she was deprived. All she wanted was to belong. Belong to her mother, Kashmir, and the families she found there. This deprivation is sometimes justified but mostly displaced.

I often find it difficult to put down all my thoughts when something overwhelms me, and this book I guess did the job. Would I recommend it? Yes and no. Yes if you are comfortable with grey characters and interested in the reality of Kashmir and its residents, no if not. Read this book with an open mind, for you might be uncomfortable on occasions.