Reading blog – experiences, pros & cons

Never again!

This was my first thought after having finished the last tasks on my reading (b)log. I spent so much time with it and sat in front of my pc during hours and hours, in the one hand my book, the other hand trying to tip in correctly in the little window what I wanted to post. Great difficulty in this case- not only me and a few of my classmates can read it, like it would be in a normal reading log (hand written) but the whole world is able to enter my blog and to (in some cases) make fun of what I wrote in the so much time-consuming process. But I must say that somehow that isn’t that bad.  If all of the viewers would leave a comment correcting my English or just the context of my entries I’d be able to improve my English in only a few weeks… but sincerely.. no one does, or only some few ones who have to 😉

-to be continued later-

Film review: Heat and Dust

And now… The Film!

A little bit too long to remember all the equal or different details, but in general it represents the book in a good way. Certainly in the movie there is missing a lot of information which is given in the book, but that’s normal- if it’s well chosen. In this case the director left some important scenes, I think, and on the opposite showed some parts which mustn’t have been mentioned. Best example for that: the importance of Maji for the narrator in the book, telling her about her pregnancy and helping her to aid a poor beggar woman to die in peace. This scenes totally missed in the movie. Furthermore, the attitude of the British towards the Indian doesn’t play such an important role and is only presented in parts.
Nevertheless, the actors for most of the characters are well chosen.

Olivia is a beautiful actress, young and a little bit naive, like she also appears in the book. Douglas, her husband represents too the same character I imagined, in general. He is a proper and correct Englishman, who cares sometimes more for his job than for Olivia, but still is very affectioned to her. Also the outer appearance fits, as far as he isn’t that attractive, what we can guess from Marcia’s comment, that she didn’t knew why Olivia had married him. But regrettably her name isn’t even really mentioned in the film.
Furthermore, we have the Nawab, very acceptable in his outer appearance. His role is well played, but I wished him to be a little bit more authoritative than he was presented. In the book he really behaved sometimes like a ruler and here not. In addition, his change at the end of the story isn’t illustrated in the movie.
About the other characters like the Begum and the British society is only to say that they’re well presented, despite of Harry, who I didn’t even recongnized at first, as he was described as fat man in the book.

Coming to the 1970’s there is this absence of Maji which I have to refer to. Somehow I think that in the book she appeared as a key character, what did not become clear in the movie.
Anne, the no name narrator, maybe could have been a little bit more weird, like she was depicted in the novel.
Moreover, I liked Inder lal and his family very much, Chid a little bit less, because his relation to Anne was almost eclipsed.

It is a pity that this story was transformed so much in a love story. All the important aspects concerning India, the landscape, the life, the dangers and good things more or less lost their importance. For example the arrival scene of Anne is demonstrated on so many pages in the book, and here it wasn’t even shot. Surely, some scenes showed some details given in the real story, but the problem with Olivia, Douglas and the Nawab attracted so much attention that other facts were eclipsed.

The appearing of Baba Firdaus shire was a disgrace for me. In the book it was described as a holy place and as a grove with a cold source nearby, but in the movie it seemed to be something like a hut and nothing special, a deserted place.

All in all I can conclude that the movie in general is not a bad one and the characters are very well chosen but some of the real sense of the book gets lost and it’s just another boring love story.

A new ending….

When Olivia left the hospital she felt relieved but did not exactly know where to go now. Now that there wasn’t anymore the child in her, her ideas about who to stay with were more clear, not having anymore the pressure to decide in a certain time. But she had not the power to return to stay with the Nawab anymore. he baby now had gone and with it the dream of a more amicable partner who had more time than Douglas. In the end she recognized that the Nawab only used her to revenge against the British society. Maybe he did even know about the abortion because the Begum betrayed her to the Nawab. In the end the life in the Palace wasn’t the one she wanted. Their lifestyle was simply too different, e.g. as she wanted a man of her own, who was not married with another wife. Furthermore, the love to Douglas was so deep-rooted that she couldn’t leave him.
She returned to stay with Douglas in Satipur. Not a year later could be recognized a slight rotundity of her belly.

Review of ‚Heat and Dust‘ on Amazon.com

THE HEAT OF THE ROMANCE…THE DUST OF ITS ASHES…, August 9, 2002

By	Lawyeraau(Balmoral Castle) – See all my reviews

„This is a well-written book that explores Anglo-Indian relations through the power of romance. Set in two distinct eras, colonial India of the nineteen twenties, during the time of the Raj, and the independent, freewheeling India of the seventies, during the time when India was a mecca for disenfranchised youth, it tells the story of two women.

One story is that of Olivia, the wife of a minor district official in colonial India, who in 1923 caused great scandal by running off with the Nawab, a local Indian prince. Divorced by her husband, Douglas, for this scandalous transgression, Olivia remains in India, while Douglas remarries. The second story is that of the narrator, a descendant of Douglas and his second wife. During the nineteen seventies, fascinated by the story of the now deceased Olivia, she goes to India, visiting those locations where Olivia had lived and those that would have been a part of her existence at the time. As did Olivia, she falls under India’s spell. As did Olivia, she, too, has an Anglo-Indian love affair, and picks up where Olivia left off, giving the reader a powerful sense of de-ja vu.

The book is a beguiling story of two women from two different generations who come under the spell of India. The book is evocative of British colonial India, as well as of India of the nineteen seventies. During both eras, Anglo-Indian relations are pivotal to the budding romances. The book is evocative of the rhythms of Indian life in all its richness and tumultuousness, as well as its lingering poverty and superstitions. It is redolent of a time gone by and hopeful of what is to come. It is also an interesting dichotomy of the good and bad in both cultures, Anglo and Indian, and the influence that both cultures have on these two women, who are so different, yet so alike.

This is a book that whets the appetite, leaving the reader wanting more than the author is prepared to give. It is, nonetheless, a book well worth reading. The book was also made into a Merchant Ivory film starring Julie Christie and Greta Scacchi that is well worth watching. „

Source: http://www.amazon.com/Heat-Dust-New-Longman-Literature/dp/0582253985/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211442456&sr=1-1

Generally I totally agree with this review. I think it’s important to tell something about the plot first, to let the reader know what you’re writing about. In fact, first she describes the Anglo-Indian relations represented by a romance in this novel. Besides she mentions also the 2 women, Olivia and the narrator, who almost live the same biography, separated by 50 years. As she says, both finish in the mountains, what causes a déjà-vu for the reader.
The reviewer adds also that there’s not only the almost identic love story of the 2 women, but that in this novel you lern a lot about Colonial British India in the 1920’s and the 70’s. She mentions also the importance of the relationship between Englishs and Indians, which during the period of 50 years has changed very much.
Furthermore, I accord to the reviewer’s opinion, that the book doesn’t offer all the information you really want to know, but still is worth reading.
The only thing I maybe wouldn’t have added is that also a film was played about this book, because this doesn’t fit into a book review.
But all in all I found it very felicitous.

Suttee and the reaction by it from the British society and Olivia

First of all, the word suttee or sati means faithful wife in India.

Suttee is a funeral practise in which the widowed women follow their dead husbands by burning themselves together with their husbands.

Not all women do it voluntarily and often are constrained to do it. Therefore, it was much disputed. It is stated that a widow could expect little of life after her husband’s death, especially if she had no children.  Her death can be seen as an ending of the marriage.

Most of accounts describe the woman sitting or lying down on the funeral pyre beside her dead husband. Many other accounts describe women walking or jumping into the flames after the fire had been lit, and some even lighted up themselves.

The total figure of known procedures during the years 1813 to 1828 is 8135, another source gives a comparable number of 7941 from 1815 to 1828.

British society: The British mostly are disgusted by this „act“. They don’t regard it as religion, but a form of suicide, although they first spoke even about the sanctity of religious practices. „It’s savagery, like everything else in this country is savagery and barbarism.“ (P.60, ll. 3-4) Here again can be recongnized the attitude of the British society towards the Indian. They regard them as barbaric people who are not on the same level with them and don’t accept other religions than their own, which seems to be the best and the only right one.

Olivia: Olivia sees it as a part of the religion in India to be burned together with the husband. If a woman remains without her husband it should be her own decision to leave with him or not, and no one should try to bias her or prevent the burning. “ And quite apart from religion, it is their culture and who are we to interfere with anyone’s culture especially an ancient one like theirs.“(P. 59, ll. 11-13) Besides she thinks it to be a noble act, to follow ones husband.“ I mean, to want to go with the person you care for most in the world. Not to want to be alive any more if he wasn’t.“(P.60 ll. 1-2). In the moment she says this, she doesn’t dare to look into Douglas eyes because she feels too embarrassed, but shortly after they look at each other with enormous affection. So mainly she sees it as a decision of love if to go with him, or not. She even would die for Douglas.

Satipur or the mountains- which location is better?

Is there really a change in the life of Olivia? Is she happier now that she has eloped with the Nawab, who bought her a house in the town of X in the mountains? Or did the situation remain the old one?
Well, I think that actually she has reached no real change.

Olivia didn’t like Satipur very much. She had not a real friend between the English women. Certainly, she knew all of them and spent much time with Beth Crawford, but actually she was alone all the time. While she visited the Begum with Beth Crawford she was the one to be silent all the time, not knowing the language. And because of their late arrival all the English women already had chosen a kind of best friend for them, so that she was not so much integrated as the others. She spent many hours alone in the house, playing the piano and reading, or simply expecting the heat to go. Douglas, her husband, was at work all day long, and often in the evening returned so late that they had not much time for conversation.

A new „time“ started during the initial period, when she began to visit the Nawab. She often stayed with Harry and found someone to talk with in him. And the Nawab was the first one to really donate her attention. They made trips together, visited the shrine and he showed her the whole Palace, which for most of the inhabitants remained unseen for their whole life.
As they fall in love a big problem becomes the centre of her life and attention: the choice between the Nawab, who was already married and her husband Douglas. Then she even got pregnant and both of them thought to be the father of the child.

After having aborted it she’s not capable to look into Douglas eyes, so she immediately goes to the Palace and leaves Kathm without having seen Douglas anymore.

And then the same situation from the beginning returns. She lives alone in the house the Nawab has bought for her and he only sometimes comes to visit her. The letters to Marcia begin to get shorter and finally disappear completely. She is alone, plays piano and passes her time maybe by reading. So finally, she returned to be in the same way of living as she was before in Satipur with Douglas. She didn’t gain anything.

P. 39-43 Olivia’s and Douglas‘ relationship

Thinking longer about their relationship I realized that it isn’t really as good as it seems at first. Douglas, who works like a Trojan doesn’t involve Olivia in any way in his work, so that she does almost never know what he’s doing currently. Nonetheless, she admires his way of speaking about it towards the men he’s working with. As he backbites over them she tries to protest against it, but he doesn’t even realize what she meant and switches off the pipe, instead. Even as she asks him about his work and his growing knowledge of Hindu, which she wants to gain too, he’s not interested and says that these are a men’s problems. Her wishes doesn’t seem to interest him, and in fact he doesn’t even notice her outer appearance, not recognizing the dress she wore so often.
Concerning the trip to Simla he already arranged everything with Beth Crawford, without asking her before if she wants to go or not. In fact, she doesn’t want to. As he says, „It’s the way it has to be.“. The only thing remaining is to implore him to let her stay with him.

The Nawab’s last years

Obviously, the Nawab seems to have used Olivia all the time, as a symbol of revenge.
About his last years we know that Harry left him and returned to England. As they meet again the Nawab seems to have changed completely. He is not living in the Palace anymore, because his money problems in the end overwhelmed him. Therefore, he never brought Olivia with him, because he couldn’t afford it. He bought her a house far away in the mountains and lived there with her sometimes. He never speaks about her openly, she has become as secret as his mother.
Furthermore, he returned to spent more time with his wife Sandy and her family.

In addition, his outer appearance has changed very much. As he visits Harry he has become an old man of 50 years and enormously fat, looking almost like a woman. Also his problems have converted to little domestic ones, so that he seemed softer and milder. Surely he is still the ruler of the state, but as he hasn’t the right to decide about things going on in Kathm anymore, he is no longer interested in it. But still he has great financial problems ans feels ashamed about not being able to keep his inheritance in the same state as he got it.

One time he visited Marcia in London and she too said that he is a more interesting person than Douglas, but not her type.

Finally he dies in the arms of his old mother, the Begum, in New York, Park Avenue, some 15 years later.

The various facets of Maji’s character

First of all, there is the „normal“ Maji:
A wife who has many children who life in different places, coming to visit her every now and then. Her husband, regrettably, has died. Earlier she has been a midwife but now left her job because of her age.

Then there is the part of Maji which has something like a sixth sense.

She knows about the narrator being pregnant just by looking at her. Often she is in the state of samadhi, what means that she’s reached a higher level of consciousness and doesn’t realize what’s going on around her. She’s able to abort a child only by touching a woman’s waist, so she has to have a sort of supernatural power.

The attitude to abortion and it’s relation to the Indian society

First of all has to be said that in the Indian society the people seem to look much more on physical changes or appearances than e.g. in Europe. As it is said in the text, Maji recognizes very early that the narrator is pregnant, long before she even notices it. Accordingly, she warned her to be careful, because in a few days all midwives in the town will follow her, noticing her special way of walking and holding. This job seems to be widely spread, because also Maji’s mum and grandmother were midwives, who taught her everything they knew. By that we can conclude that most of the midwifes are not academically accomplished women, but normal wives who learnt their profession by practice and the knowledge that their ancestors bequeathed („[…] spent several years going to holy places to pick up whatever instruction she could“ P. 128, ll. 23-24).

In addition, abortion appears to be an often used way to get rid of unintentional children. Only after telling her a bit about her life, Maji offers the narrator to perform an abortion, if she wanted it. She already did it several times, some years ago, and still does know everything about it.

As we gather from the text, a pregnancy in India is not the same as here in Europe or the USA. Probably, a wife has to be married first and also after it, shouldn’t become pregnant if it’s not the right time. „[…] In some cases it is the only way to save people from dishonour and suffering„(P. 129, ll. 8-9). That indicates the attitude towards unwanted pregnancies. It seems to be like in our society, but some hundred years ago, when children were born out of wedlock and their mothers were discriminated and a disgrace for their families. Because of that, many had to marry because of a pregnancy, or were hidden somewhere far away from their homes.