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The Gods of Glass
The characters have to constantly "eat up their sorrow", "drink up their tears", "spit out their anger". Their "blood keeps boiling" and the reader’s head "keeps making circles." They are caught up in situations that the author repeatedly describes as " a mix of climax and anti-climax." They indulge in "introspection as well as retrospection." The "arrows and fangs of the Cupid grip them" from time to time. Like the scriptwriter of a particularly horrible serial, Sauldie weaves in lovemaking scenes at regular intervals. There is nothing lovely about them. His language is challenging, to put it mildly. He draws on a horrendous repertoire of metaphors and analogies. With barely contained passion, he paints ludicrous pictures of "nocturnal picnics," "much-awaited entertainment" and "late-night shows" He literally translates Hindi and Urdu idioms and expressions into English. This forces the reader to forego English and think in these languages to make sense of the comic expressions that litter the pages. For instance, the Raja is described as the Rani’s "crown of head." It is after much reflection that one recognises the term as a translation of the word sartaj. The character etchings are more akin to caricaturing. This is how he introduces one of the main characters: "A middle-sized, well-cut person, he has an oval, angelic face and a mildly rippled forehead`85There is, however, a notable inclination of his body to the right (as if burdened with the loads of history) although he strives to preserve the aristocratic erectness of figure and a grace of the gait`85He is more or less like a curious child (which he remained all his life!) who is fond of cuddling a cute little doggie but shies away in fright when it growls and runs away when it barks." And then, he goes on to say: "His grey hair, combed from the front to the back, protrude his otherwise sunken eyes." As for the novel’s title, the writer spells out his logic: " Powerful men seem to be frail and fragile like some gods cast in the figurines of glass." Only an optimist can read this book in the hope that the story will fall into place and move forward. The narrative does pick up pace and how. When more than three-quarters of the book is over, the writer decides to wipe out the entire older generation and catapult the younger into middle age. Relationships suddenly sour and families are fractured. Sauldie lets loose a torrent of words held together by never-ending sentences. This apparent stream of unconsciousness is a strain on the reader. Otherwise, this is a book for those who can swallow it with amused tolerance. |
THIS is the writer’s first attempt at fiction and
an ambitious one at that. Before the story unfolds, the reader is
informed that the saga encompasses "biting reality enveloped in the
soothing humour of life." The tale is woven around a campaign that
has been launched by a minor potentate and his two brothers prior to
Partition to oust a bigger despot and thwart the activities of a group
of thugs. With the campaign holding centrestage, Sauldie brings in a
host of characters from diverse sections of society.
