The Age of Shiva: A Novel Book

The Age of Shiva focuses on the life story of an Indian woman named Meera. The plot follows her from her early years (when she falls in love) to more mature years (when she becomes a possessive mother who has a hard time letting her son go). We follow Meera as she falls in love, becomes a wife and a mother and struggles to find a purpose in her life. The historical period is a turbulent one. As India becomes independent and grows into a more modern state, Meera herself is encouraged to study and become independent as well. Her father wants her to be independent, he is a feminist. But what does Meera want? Meera doesn't seem to be sure of that, in many ways she is quite passive. At first she wants to be a traditional wife to her husband, but soon Meera becomes disillusioned with her marriage. Like the land itself, Meera is struggling to find her identity in a fast changing world. Moreover, Meera has some growing up to do. Her father's intentions might be good but it is not easy turning Meera into a modern woman he envisioned. That's the thing with feminism. It doesn't care about what women want. It is all about pushing women into a certain direction that some of them might not like. For example, Meera's father doesn't care about what his wife or daughters want. He wants them to be feminists, not taking into account their own feelings (that might be more traditional).

When a novel is so heavily based on one protagonist, the portrayal of that one protagonist is really important. I must admit that the heroine of this novel frustrated me. Meera is at times incredibly selfish and possessive. At the same time, knowing her story and background, I did feel for her. I was torn between wanting to give her a hug and wanting to shout at her: grow a spine! Everything Meera does is a reaction to what men in her life too. It is almost as Meera has no mind of her own at times. As time moved one, I found it harder to sympathize with her. Long story short: the protagonist Meera drove me nuts! In that sense, reading The Age of Shiva was both a hit and miss for me, if that makes sense. I struggled with the reading at times.

It is funny how clearly I remember this novel. My memory is pretty good so I'm not surprised I remember details about a novel that I read it seven years ago, but I'm surprised I remember so well a novel I felt so torn about. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. This novel frustrated me at times! I couldn't tell whether I should hate Meera or understand her. The possessive motherly side of her wasn't very appealing and yet it is that vulnerability that made her such a real character. I hated her at times, but I also felt for her. One thing is for sure- this book didn't left me feeling indifferent.

There is certainly a lot that can be said about this novel, but I'll try sum it up. When this writer writes about the human psyche, he really seems to know what he is talking about. It is certainly impressive how he got into the head of the main female character. The narrative is engaging, Manil Suir knows how to capture the readers attention. The characters are fascinating, if overly too negative (including the protagonist). The story itself is (or seem to me) utterly depressing and I might have responded to that. There is a ring of truth in the tragedy of countless failures that sometimes make the human life.

I was often left confused and bewildered while reading, especially with the personality of our (unreliable?) narrator. There seems to be a touch of that Henry James' ambiguity going on. There are probably some flaws in The Age of Shiva, but all together it is really a captivating read. I judge that the time spent reading it was well used. This book really annoyed and frustrated me at times, and yet I feel I have really learned something by reading it.