The Crow Eaters (Alive Again! Series) [Paperback]

Bapsi Sidhwa (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alive Again! Series | Publication Date: September 1992

Freddy Jungelwalla uproots his family from their village in the forests of Central India to the city of Lahore, where he becomes successful by learning how to manipulate all three powers driving the city: the British, the Muslims, and the Hindu. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A hit in England when first published in 1983, Sidhwa's first novel is a riotous mix of barnyard humor and a loving portrayal of the Parsi, the ancient Persian people who migrated to India centuries ago.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As his ox-drawn cart labors north, Faredoon Jungelwalla has no destination in mind. He just has faith, as all Parsees have, that he will know it when he sees it. And in Lahore his faith is rewarded. Inspired by the small Parsee community rushing to greet him, he settles in then and there, opening a store and depositing his wife and her loathsome mother Jerbanoo on the floor above. As years pass and his wealth increases, so does Jerbanoo's elephantine girth, but neither measure matches the dimension of their hatred for each other. Still, Faredoon is a realist. Things could change. The death of his favorite son is proof, as is the unexpected marriage of his ugly son Behram to the beautiful Tanya Easymoney. And India is changing. "Jolly good for jolly good, fart for fart, the cultures of East and West" are meeting. This is a comic novel stuffed with rich, spicy characters. Sidhwa makes every step of Faredoon's journey through time and culture a joy to read.
- Paul E. Hutchison, Bellefonte, Pa.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 267 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915943786
• ISBN-13: 978-0915943784
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,048,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read........., May 24, 2000

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crow Eaters (Paperback)

Bapsi Sidhwa is an author of rare sensitivity. Most of her work deals with life in the Parsi community . She, being a Parsi herself, provides an interesting insight into the actions and reactions of a minority caught between predominantly muslim and hindu societies in India and Pakistan. Her controversial and well known novel on partition, Cracking India (called the Ice-candy Man in India) is one such tour de force.

Crow Eaters is slightly different. Although here the story is centered around a middle class Parsi family, the novel does not have an overly political tone . Much of the novel is filled with interesting incidents in the life of the protogonists. Many of the incidents are comic witha touch of tragedy in them . This is the kind of writing Bapsi is known for and this book is a prime example of her art.

Bapsi Sidhwa along with Rohinton Mistry(Such a long journey) is one of the very few authors who have written about the Parsis; a small but prominent culture in the Indian society. This book exemplifies that form of writing .

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...And Bapsi Sidhwa magic never ends!, June 27, 2002

By 

Uzair Qadeer (Pa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crow Eaters (Alive Again! Series) (Paperback)

The Crow Eaters is an extraordinary tale of very ordinary people. A fast moving and engaging story is full of humour and life. Bapsi Sidhwa has a magical tendency of writing fiction and creating very emphatic characters. The Crow Eaters is the story of a Parsee family that moves to the bustling city of Lahore. Lahore is also called the "Paris of the East" and has always served as one of the most historical cities in South Asia. Founded by a Hindu god Ram and later becoming the central part of the great Moughal Empire and the seat of the governor in the British Raj, Lahore quickly absorbed the Junglewallas in its stride. The story take twists and turns and goes from one generation to the other. The descriptions are as solid as a rock and the pace and humour make a perfect combination to transform the story in a magical tale of love, relations and experiences of a parsee family in the British India. It's a must to read...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A delightfully humorous and insightful read, December 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Crow Eaters (Paperback)

"The Crow Eaters" is a delightfully humorous and insightful book. Bapsi Sidhwa writes with a clarity and tone that are unparalleled in modern Indo-Pak fiction. One of the book's biggest pluses is the strength of its characters. The Junglewalla's saga--or rather, sagas--are ones that we can identify with. We laugh when the Junglewalla's laugh, and we cry when they cry. The believability of every single one of the characters, as well as their uniqueness, makes for a terrific character set.

If the book has one single biggest drawback, it is that the reader ideally is familiar with some basic Pakistani customs and words, because otherwise some of the meaning is lost on the reader. This, however, does not detract from one's overall enjoyment of the book. In all, Bapsi Sidhwa's "The Crow Eaters" manages to combine a sharp sense of humor with poignant insights onto life. I highly recommend "The Crow Eaters" to anyone with 3-4 hours that they can devote to reading a wonderfully unique and refreshing novel.