Mulk Raj Anand (1905–2004)

Munoo is a young boy who leaves his far North India hill village in the belief that life will be better somewhere else. Anywhere else. In the process of discovering the world, he goes from town to town and, eventually, to Bombay and Simla, working in inevitably menial positions everywhere. His youth (and concomitant naivete) keep prompting the reader to want to grab him and tell him “No! Don’t do it,” but that is a measure of how convincingly Anand has drawn both the characters and the circumstances. Munoo’s endless struggle just to survive is a heart-rending picture of life among the poorest classes in 1940s India. Anand’s depiction calls Dickens to mind in showing how the poorest live and, even more powerfully, the way they disappear, unremarked by virtually anyone. He is particularly effective at making clear the life of a day with its routine insults and humiliations, the place (and impact) of both faith and fatalism and the power of racism—not just of the English but of the caste system itself. Sadly, I cannot help but wonder how much has changed.… (altro)

Untouchable is an interesting peek into the life of one "untouchable", Bakha, through his eyes during the time span of a single day. To say his life is rough and pretty much hopeless would be an understatement. He cleans latrines and spends his days working very hard and begging. Anand shows the reader the many trials and travails these folks faced, and it's painful. In one instance, Bakha inadvertently touches someone from a higher caste, and the tumult that ensues is just awful. Sort of the way I might react if I encountered a big hairy tarantula on my face.

The book was a four star read for me until the end. I really empathized with Bakha and found his plight interesting. Anand shares his inner thoughts, and I found this very helpful when it came to seeing thing through his eyes.

Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and while it was supposed to be hopeful, I definitely didn't find it emotionally moving. I don't want to spoil it, but it read quite differently than the rest of the tale, and for me, wasn't really uplifting, and also felt like a whole lot of "telling" as opposed to showing the reader how Bakha benefited from his encounters with Ghandi, a missionary, and a poet. Poorly conceived ending to an interesting book.… (altro)