Ranga Rao’s Those Women of the Coromandel provides a peep into the 19th century, flourishing colonial world in the southeastern coastal region of India. This world is presented through the lives of the three eponymous women- Miss Beston, an English trader settled in India, the mystical Granny Appachchi and her equally interesting sister-in-law, Worker Aunt. There are, of course, a host of other characters- both Indian and British, that colour the landscape of the colonial India painted by Ranga Rao.
Rao captures the life-world of these people in a remarkable way so that the reading experience is akin to looking into a bioscope. The society and the culture of that time, the British influence and their exploitative practices have been very well depicted manner. The author writes with tongue-in-cheek and offers an incisive and scathing critique of both the Indigenous and the British spheres of the Indian society of that time. It is worth noting, however, that the portrayal of the events has been done in a rather objective manner, so that the developmental projects undertaken by the British have been presented alongside the exploitative agenda that necessitated those projects in the first place.
The characters in the novel are well-fleshed and carry idiosyncrasies that bring them to life. It is exciting, as a reader, to be a part of their lives and accompany them on the journeys (and adventures) that they undertake. The structure of the novel is akin to that of a katha- there is beginning, middle and end of each section of the novel; these section are also peppered with digressions. Rao lays down some cards and withholds others, so that the readers anticipate the action in the novel. The experience of reading this novel was very much similar to that of Six and A Third Acres by the famous Odia writer, Fakir Mohan Senapati.
Rao, as a writer, must be commended for touching on so many issues with such dexterity and cohesion. This work seems to be a perfect last addition to his oeuvre. As a reader, I look forward to reading more of his works.
My Rating: ***** (4.5/5)
What do you think about this book? Do you enjoy reading regional Indian literature? Do share your views. Thanks.
*I was kindly sent a copy by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. views expressed are entirely personal and unbiased.*
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