A Village Dies: Your invitation to a memorable funeral
Author: Ivan Arthur
Publication: Speaking Tiger
Pages: 234
Price: Rs. 299
Story of Kevni-Amboli, the twin villages in “Bombay”
A novel is like a holdall. It holds together bedding, quilt, clothes, undergarments, hankies, anything. Once you finish reading the novel or fiction, it starts growing in your head. A reader tends to identify himself with the characters, places, situations and that’s the success of the novel.
Back in the 1940s, when Mumbai was still Bombay, the twin urban villages of Kevni-Amboli were home to a lively Catholic community—predominantly East Indian, but also Anglo-Indian, Goan and Mangalorean. In this hugely entertaining novel set in that vanished world, Ivan Arthur spins a delightful web of joint families, priests, sodality groups, gossips, friendly drunks, vagrants, simpletons, lovers and maiden aunts.
Among the many lovable and eccentric characters are Hanging Gardens, a simple gravedigger who, by a quirk of fate, nurtures a millionaire mechanic; Blaise Misquitta, a stickler for punctuality who has a grave dug in anticipation of his wife’s death; Tristao Dias Ribeiro, a Portuguese official who builds a massive church because his wife’s illness has forced him out of the conjugal bed; Kirit, the studious first-ranker who slits his wrist—and survives—because he cannot marry Miss Alice or kiss her on the lips; Peter, a mysterious water-carrier who sings operatic arias; and of course the endearing tomboy Kitty, in whose memories the past and present merge.
This novel seems to be a collection of short stories that revolves around the theme of social history of catholic community. East Indians used to looked down up their Catholic counterparts since they had identified themselves with the East India Company, i.e. British and not with the Portuguese. However, over the course of time these three communities integrated with each other to develop a unique Catholic village culture that finally gets submerged into the vast metropolis.
The novel opens up with the funeral of an insignificant character- a grave digger, and unfolds the stories of various people and finally reveals the roots of that grave digger. It takes reader to the period when Portuguese arrived in Mumbai and the love story that acted as a catalyst to build the first church in Andheri.
It gives detailed account of the music and bands, an integral part of catholic life. The novels also depicts almost all the classes in the catholic community. The beggars, self-employed, professionals, salaried people, businessmen, priests, school teachers, men and women. It takes you to Goa, Middle-East and such other places.
Ivan Arthur is the author of five books and three-time winner of the WPP international award for original writing. He was former Area Creative Director of JWT, in charge of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He was a mandolin player and later worked as a journalist, copy writer to become advertising professional.
It is no wonder that an advertising professional and communication expert would not only make you read the novel but will also make sure that almost each reader would find something interesting in the book.
It could be the music, social history or the changing character of the city or detailed description of the desi brewery or the language of East Indians. Novel is like a holdall, it can be entertaining as well but the great novel raises and explores some profound issues and questions. A Village Dies is nowhere close to it.
