I picked up this book Alchemy of Desire 2 years back at the annual Strand book festival. And got to read it now. Tarun Tejpal is someone I had a curiosity to read. The first sentence of the book, made me raise an eyebrow and doubt what was in the offering. First 150 pages or so, I was lost and now after completing the book, I think that part of the book could have been shortened. It was a repetition of the unnamed protagonist’s obsession with his wife and her body, and his inability to think beyond her. But after about 200 pages the story picks up. And that is when you find it difficult to keep the book down.
The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun J Tejpal
The story travels from one plane to another, from one era to another, from one continent to another. From emotions to reality, from curiosity to mystery, and finally lands up with the truth. The author has divided the book into five parts:
- Prema or love
- Karma or action
- Artha or money
- Kama or desire
- Satya or truth
The chapters pretty much revolve around these broader themes.
It is a story of a writer, who makes several attempts at writing a great novel. But finally lives through one and realizes that you have to live a story to be able to tell it. By some stroke of destiny, he buys a house in the lower Himalayas. And the house has a mysterious history and a story that no one is willing to tell. The author gets obsessed by his desire to unearth the story so much that he loses interest in his original obsession, his wife.
Finally, after following the story and joining all the facts that he collects from all possible people, he feels a sense of relief. And that is when he goes back in search of his wife, content that he, at last, has a story.
Intricately Woven
The story has been woven very intricately by the author, it keeps moving back and forth in time and space. The descriptions of the places, events, and people are excellent. I could specifically relate to it as half the story is set in the city that I grew up in. The author describes the city from all angles, including calling it a city with no past and no visible future. He talks about the city in such a way that you can almost smell the city and feel it. He describes the emotions also with equal ease.
You can feel what the protagonist is going through. He describes his house in the Himalayas. The visuals from its various angles in such a way that you can visualize the whole valley. He describes people in such a way that you would think of someone who resembles the character.
The story touches on all aspects that touch a usual human life. Like childhood, politics, history, mystery, relationships, love, lust. Famous and common people, chance encounters, weird people and events, cross cultures, religion, lack and an abundance of money, free spirits, traditional living, etc. All this is neatly woven together in a web that may entangle you. You would enjoy reading Alchemy of Desire an intense and bold story, which is definitely different and original. Especially if you are an intense person and like to lead an adventurous life.
Buy this book – The Alchemy of Desire by Tarun J Tejpal at Amazon India.
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