THE BEST NOVEL I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME
HALFWAY UP THE MOUNTAIN was not my first chocie as I flipped through the books at the ‘Indian Author Fiction’ section at Media Mart in Mumbai Airport. I was looking for ‘The deliberate sinner’ a book published and promoted by JayentaKumar of Srishti publications. It was out of stock. Then my eyes fell on this intriguing cover design with ‘Kiran Khalp’ as author. I checked the back cover and confirmed that it was the same Kiran Khalap, the communication Guru and the founder of Chlorophyll.
I needed no more arguments to pick the book. With Kiran Khalap there is hardly a chance that you would go wrong. Yet, the back-cover was a bit confusing. ‘A poetic work, in which prayers, sprituality and reality are interwaven’. It was not inspiring enoygh to pick but I went with my gut feel.
Down the lane with tiny Maya looking at her father who is leaving. It took the author no time to create web of stories connected through expectations and emotions. I was with him as he slowly peeled layer of Maya psychi and I went in a journey with him. Where together with Maya I rediscoved the joy of reading. It has been dulled by similiarity in style of Indian authors.
Suddenly, the narrative at the back cover ‘a poetic work, in which prayers, sprituality and reality are interwaven’ start making sense. It is easy to read- smooth flowing- passion driven narrative. It teases you. It takes you near the the protganist. You believe you know her and yet it keeps you at a distance that respects te characters privacy. It is music with words and drama with emotions. It is a equation that has no constnats and a reaction that hardly needs a catlyst. Its lyrical in its effors to bring alive the trauma in Maya’s head. And it echoes in trying to spin out of the complex emotions being experienced by Maya. Come flow with it and do pause not for the breath but in really unravelling the message beyond words.
It is a perspective of life. And not THE perspective of life. It is a way that has been molded through experiences and fueled with rare but real instnaces in her life. The Song of the Soul, forms a focal point of the novel. It was something that Maya hears her ftaher sing to her. For her the quest ends when she is able to decipher the context and the meaning.
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Kiran presents the enviorument in a pressure cooker without a whistle. Periodic release of pressure in Maya’s life syncs with your emotional state. It is tough to write on your own experiences. It is toughest when there is a gender shift. A male author writing through the experiences and senstivity of a woman protoganist. Wow what a wonderful first novel it has been. Though published first in 2003 I read it now. But HALF WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN is time neutral in its approach. Go pick it and feel the journey.
232 pages. AMARYLLIS. FICTION. HALF WAY UP THE MOUNTAIN by KIRAN KHALP.
