 The book 'Delhi: the novel' is a creation by Khushwant Singh which has to be read by those who are interested to know about how India took its present shape over the centuries. The author has tackled subject starting from religion to politics. His capabilities are unlimited from fiction to non-fiction. The parts which deals with the present are somewhat lame whereas the first and the last chapters that tell of the present are must-reads. As a whole the book tries to clear the vision of the readers about that scenario of Delhi at that time and the author becomes very much successful in that.
Khushwant Singh is known as different name as for example like as novelist, journalist, Member of Parliament, politician, translator, autobiographer, historian, storywriter, essayist, and many more. As a whole he is a man of variety. Soon after three years of Indian independence Singh has published his first volume of short fiction and this happened in the year of 1950. Khushwant Singh was a man of principle, he never left the country for career. Many of his stories were set at the backdrop of Indian political movement and the location was Delhi, the author's hometown. At first he began his career as fiction writer and very soon he ventured in different fields like as a historian, translator and journalist. Like his career he was also involved in different professions including law, diplomacy, radio broadcasting and politics. He is a professional writer and wrote more than hundred books all total. Many a times he came into limelight because of his controversial comments. His first creation was 'The mark of Vishnu and other stories' was published in London in the year of 1950. It followed 'The Sikhs' in which he described the Sikh history, politics and sociology. Later he resumed a post in the Department of mass Communication at UNESCO whose headquarter was in Paris. Synopsis: This book by Khushwant Singh is a delicate balance of fiction and non-fiction. It accounts the history of New Delhi from the eyes of an old Sikh guide named Mr. Singh. His passionate romance with Bhagmati who is a hermaphrodite and a representation of Delhi is beautifully paralleled. The story progresses with chapters divided in narrations by poets, sultans, soldiers, white memsahibs, etc. Laden with every possible creative or literary technique, this book is a must read for those interested in world fiction, socio-cultural studies, world history and many more. The book starts early in this millennium, and with each alternate chapter proceeds through the centuries until the present time, alternating with chapters based in the present. The chapters dealing with the past are fantastic. If someone knows the city of Delhi and has curiosity about its history, it's an amazing gift for them. The story is told from the viewpoints of various characters, with different styles, and is really a marvelous read. This novel by Khushwant Singh is published by the Penguin India, which is the tale of the then Delhi and its people. (Last Updated on : 08-08-2009) |
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