Book Review: We Weren't Lovers Like That

Q. What's worse than a depressing book?
A. A depressing book you can't put down.

I'm afraid We weren't Lovers like that is one such book. It's depressing to start with, dejecting in the middle and it ends with a possibility, but without the promise, of something better. But at the same time, it's a treat to read with its almost poetry-like fluent language and strong emotional undercurrents. It doesn't put its characters in absolutely abject situations and induce pity. Its depressing quality comes from the mundane failures of the day-to-day life; from the realizations about the missed chances and what-ifs and from the familiarity of the plot to our lives.

Navtej Sarna tells the story from a first person perspective. This has definitely allowed him to depict the emotional state and the thoughts of the central character with more authority. I particularly liked his way of following the trains of thought and not hesitating to digress from the flow to capture some poignant moments from the various corners of the memory of the protagonist.

The theme of the book is a winner - Aftab's wife Mina walks out of their weary marriage for another man, Rajiv. Aftab, humiliated but not hurt, gives up his insipid job, pissed off by petty office politics, and takes the Shatabdi Express to Dehradun, following a frail hope of reunion with his long lost love, Rohini. The books covers his journey from Delhi to Dehradun; his journey from his conformist and timid past to the promise of a content future.

The book reminded me of The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I wonder if Sarna took some inspiration from Ishiguro. Sarna's work shares its reflexive and introspective qualities with Ishiguro's work. Both the books tell their stories using the flashbacks and trail of thoughts. I personally found Ishiguro's work more complex and sophisticated. The reader has to interpret the thoughts of the Butler as the layers of information are made visible to him/her. It makes you want to read the book all over again, just after you finish it once.

In the end, Navtej Sarna must be congratulated for his marvelous book. What makes this feat more commendable is the fact that this is his first novel. I have read that his collection of short stories is set to come out next. Waiting for that one eagerly!

P.S.: Navtej Sarna, as you might know, is the spokesman for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. He isn't the only diplomat to write a book; Vivek, an undertraining IFS officer & my cousin, is writing one too!
(Recently I was invited to join Desicritics.org. This review is also cross-posted here.)