3.5
A Strange and Sublime Address
ByPublisher Description
Writer and musician Amit Chaudhuri’s elegant debut novel, in which an Indian ten-year-old experiences the entirely distinct experiences of life in Bombay, where his family lives, and Calcutta, where he visits relatives during his summer vacation.
Ten-year-old Sandeep lives in a high-rise in Bombay, where his father has an important job that keeps him busy all the time. Come summer, Sandeep and his mother travel to Calcutta to spend time with his aunt, his self-absorbed and improvident uncle, and Abhi, his favorite cousin. His relatives’ house is shadowy and rambling; the vast city around it ramshackle and alluring. They fascinate curious, observant Sandeep. Days pass; the heat grows; the rains come; the visit ends. In the winter, Sandeep and his family return to Calcutta—and encounter an unexpected turn of events. But Sandeep has arrived at a new sense of things, an understanding of how the marvelous inheres in the mundane, that will be his, we feel, for good.
At once delicate and incisive, A Strange and Sublime Address succeeds in both immersing us in a boy’s inner world and depicting that boy and his world from outside. It was Amit Chaudhuri’s first book, the work of a novelist whose striking originality of conception would subsequently become ever more clear. The three decades since the publication of A Strange and Sublime Address have only confirmed its appeal and poetry.
Ten-year-old Sandeep lives in a high-rise in Bombay, where his father has an important job that keeps him busy all the time. Come summer, Sandeep and his mother travel to Calcutta to spend time with his aunt, his self-absorbed and improvident uncle, and Abhi, his favorite cousin. His relatives’ house is shadowy and rambling; the vast city around it ramshackle and alluring. They fascinate curious, observant Sandeep. Days pass; the heat grows; the rains come; the visit ends. In the winter, Sandeep and his family return to Calcutta—and encounter an unexpected turn of events. But Sandeep has arrived at a new sense of things, an understanding of how the marvelous inheres in the mundane, that will be his, we feel, for good.
At once delicate and incisive, A Strange and Sublime Address succeeds in both immersing us in a boy’s inner world and depicting that boy and his world from outside. It was Amit Chaudhuri’s first book, the work of a novelist whose striking originality of conception would subsequently become ever more clear. The three decades since the publication of A Strange and Sublime Address have only confirmed its appeal and poetry.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communities22 Reviews
3.5
Ipsita
Created 7 months agoShare
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“"17 Vivekananda Road, Calcutta (South),
West Bengal,
India,
Asia,
Earth,
The Solar System,
The Universe.
It was a strange and sublime address."
--
The city of Calcutta, known for its rich history and culture, is a place that holds a special place in the hearts of those who have experienced its unique charm and character. It is a city that has an intangible quality, a certain magic that lingers in the air and cannot be expressed in words.
And yet, Amit Chaudhuri has achieved the impossible task of capturing the essence of this enchanting city in his writing.
Through his masterful use of fine words and intricate prose, Chaudhuri has brought the many facets of Kolkata to life, allowing readers to experience "Tillotama Kolkata" in all its glory. For those who have had the privilege of visiting the city, Chaudhuri's writing will transport them back to the narrow North Calcutta lanes, where each house seems to have a story to tell and every person they encounter is full of character.
Chaudhuri's novel, "A Strange And Sublime," tells the story of Sandeep, an only child living in a high-rise building in Bombay. Through his visits to his extended family in Calcutta, Sandeep experiences the atmosphere of the small house where they live. His writing is precise and careful, seeking to capture the faded happiness of things and the strange, pure moments that people remember.
The novel is a beautifully written and captivating read, perfect for those who appreciate good prose and the ability to get lost in the vivid and detailed world of the author's imagination. While there may not be a traditional plot, the character development and exploration of human relationships are enough to keep readers engaged throughout.
For those who have a personal connection to Calcutta, "A Strange And Sublime" is a particularly special read. The detailed descriptions of the city and its unique features transport readers back to a place they may have once called home, where the laid-back pace of the city and its vintage charm create a surreal feeling.
Chaudhuri's novel is followed up by nine short stories, each one magical in its own way. While some of these stories fall a bit flat and lack the same impact as the main story, the power of the writing in "A Strange And Sublime" and the book's ability to evoke such strong emotions in the reader make it a worthwhile read for anyone looking for a literary journey that will transport them to another place and time.”
Bianca Bazyler
Created 8 months agoShare
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Prashant Rana
Created 9 months agoShare
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DaveyK
Created 11 months agoShare
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Rob
Created 11 months agoShare
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“"Each day there will be a power - cut, and each day there would be the unexpected, irrational thrill when the lights returned;" "The effect was the opposite of blowing out candles on a birthday cake: it was as if someone had blown on a set of unlit candles, and the magic exhalation had brought a flame to every wick at once."
This is a beautifully written book about a 10-year-old boy named Sandeep - who lives in Bombay - and goes on summer vacation with his mother to Calcutta every year to visit his extended family of uncles, aunts, and cousins.
The city and home around him is safe, mundane and never changing but Sandeep seems to accept that and continues to be an inquisitive 10 year old only child.
I enjoyed this short book very much.”
About Amit Chaudhuri
Amit Chaudhuri is a novelist, essayist, poet, and musician. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he is the author of more than a dozen books, several of which are available from NYRB, including the novels Friend of My Youth and Sojourn; a work of memoir and music criticism, Finding the Raga; and the poetry collection Sweet Shop: New and Selected Poems, 1985–2023. Formerly a professor of contemporary literature at the University of East Anglia, Chaudhuri is now a professor of creative writing and the director of the Centre for the Creative and the Critical at Ashoka University.
Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and has been named as the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022–2024 by the Arts Council of Ireland. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Tóibín lives in Dublin and New York.
Colm Tóibín is the author of eleven novels. He is the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University and has been named as the Laureate for Irish Fiction for 2022–2024 by the Arts Council of Ireland. Three times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Tóibín lives in Dublin and New York.
Other books by Amit Chaudhuri
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