The House of Blue Mangoes: Library Edition [MP3 Audio] [Audio CD]

David Davidar (Author), Robert Whitfield (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

Like Vikram Seth's A SUITABLE BOY, THE HOUSE OF BLUE MANGOES tells many stories in one, each slipping effortlessly into the other and all ultimately entwined. Three generations of an ancient family come and go in Chevathar, the village by the sea. First there is Solomon, the patriarch, manoeuvring to keep the peace as caste struggles begin to encroach on the village. Then there is the story of Solomon's sons, their fortunes rising and falling as India begins its struggle for independence. Finally, there is the story of Solomon's grandson, perhaps the last of the line, making his own stand for independence. A host of characters enliven these pages: Father Ashcroft, the English priest washed up in a forgotten corner of the empire; Mrs Wilkins the planter's wife who clings to the old ascendancy; Joshua, the prodigal son who leads the battle on the beach; Daniel and Aaron, brothers at war; and Helen, an Anglo-Indian beauty who brings about the final disintegration of the family. This is a glorious, generous, and exhilarating read.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A memorable experience is in store for the reader of David Davidar's The House of Blue Mangoes. In a similar fashion to Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, Davidar's ambitious novel set in India relates many stories in one, each ineluctably merging into the other. We are shown three generations of an old family in the oceanside village of Chevathar. The patriarch Solomon strives to maintain equilibrium as caste struggles begin to create harsh conflict in the village, while his sons endure triumph and disaster as India inaugurates its battle for independence and his grandson, who may be the last of the line, undertakes his own bid for independence. All of these characters are drawn with a mercurial vividness, and Davidar has a Tolstoyan sense of the larger canvas--his epic covers the spectrum of heroes and rogues, clans and dynasties, the ugly and the beautiful.

The narrative, alternately measured and hectic, richly weaves together assassinations and passionate affairs, exorcisms and beggars' banquets. Davidar's models are often stories from India's great epics, but the fascination of the everyday is never overlooked, from making a perfect cup of tea to whipping up a flavorsome biryani. Along with the tribulations of the protagonists, we are shown the various strategies Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill used in their battles, and we see how the English memsahibs played their part in the downfall of the Raj. The mangoes of India, a key image in the novel, suggest the heady, ripe taste of this engrossing and thoroughly individual novel. --Barry Forshaw, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Thoroughly engrossing in its take on the recent history of the Indian subcontinent, Davidar's rich debut follows three generations of a wealthy, non-Brahmin Christian family as they struggle to preserve tradition and rise to the challenge of change. The Dorai family's livelihood comes from their groves of mango trees bearing a rare variety of the succulent fruit. In 1899, patriarch Solomon Dorai, thalaivar (headman) of the village of Chevathar, in Kerala, faces a threat to his leadership when caste and tribal acrimony explode into violence. Later, one of Solomon's sons becomes involved in the Gandhi-led struggle to gain independence from Britain. The other son grows rich on a patent medicine to lighten dark skin, and eventually revitalizes his family's presence in Chevathar by building a mansion he calls the house of blue mangoes. Solomon's grandchildren go through WWII and the twilight of the Raj. This could be the stuff of potboilers, but Davidar writes with an ironic, sympathetic appreciation of the religious and historical forces binding the Indian people. His understanding of the psychological limitations and moral complexities of his characters in a country ruled by occupying powers distinguishes his narrative. The characters' lives change as the social injustice of the caste system slowly wanes, while the class distinctions between "pure" Indian and mixed-blood Anglo-Indians grow more tenacious. Although Davidar's prose often achieves lyrical beauty, his attempt to engage the reader in such cultural embroidery as how to brew a perfect cup of tea sometimes results in slow passages and didactic asides. Yet while it lacks the visceral bite of Mistry's A Fine Balance or Sharma's An Obedient Father, the novel offers a sweeping and generous view of India's fractured history. Agent, Nicole Aragi. 15-city NPR campaign; 5-city author tour. (Mar. 10) work by Vikram Seth, Arundhati Roy and Rohinton Mistry. He wrote this book to "capture... memories that I have always cherished."

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; MP3 edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786192186
• ISBN-13: 978-0786192182
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,082,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Home In India, April 24, 2002

By 

Devika Kapoor (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Blue Mangoes: A Novel (Hardcover)

The House of Blue Mangoes is a rarity as rare as the blue mangoes in the book. Let me explain. In the last many years most of the Indian novels I've read have been written by Indians living abroad which robs them of a certain authentic feel. This novel felt authentic alright. I could smell, taste, experience the colours, food and vibrancy of India. In brief it tells the story of a South Indian family, the Dorais who are mired in a period of immense change and turbulance. What I found especially admirable about the book was the way in which the author seamlessly (by and large, there were a couple of sections where it could've been done better) melds the family story with the great historical events of the early twentieth century in India; the struggle for independence, caste wars, world wars etc. The characters are well developed...my favourites were Solomon and Aaron Dorai, although I did like Charity and Father Ashworth as well. The book taught me a lot about India while simultaneously keeping me absolutely hooked through a gripping story.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) House of Blues...., June 12, 2002

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The House of Blue Mangoes: A Novel (Hardcover)

I wanted this book to be as fascinating as the first hundred pages. Certainly all of the elements are present: the family patriarchy, feuding neighbors, an entrenched caste system in precarious balance.

Three generations of Dorais act out this familial drama, male characters predominant, from Solomon Dorai to his sons Aaron and Daniel, and Daniel's son Kammel. In each generation, at least one son is banished to make his way among strangers. In Daniel's case, because he could not fight to preserve the family's honor, and was sent away with the women and children before the battle that cost the lives of many important Dorai men. Much later, Daniel returns to accept his birthright. But later, Daniel's own son willingly leaves, unable to make peace within the family hierarchy. Yet all roads lead to the Dorai compound, where relatives live together in common purpose, keeping the land intact. In a tribute to Solomon, who first had the dream, Daniel names the enclave The House of Blue Mangoes. Years later, as David lies dying, Kamman returns to assume the role of his father's successor, with the same purpose, the continuation of the family name and property. There is plentiful material to fuel the plot, particularly the political unrest prior to the Partition in 1947.

There is no question that the British trampled the land and the people, Her Majesty's representatives bloated with their own importance and dreams of Empire. But Davidar's characters are difficult to understand, seeming cutouts before the vast panoply of social change, who only parrot historical facts, often with little interest. I wanted a sense of the people themselves, their passions, dreams and fears, not an explanation like a school primer. For example, Daniel becomes a physician, trained by a charitable benefactor to help the poor and indigent; he passes the clinic on to Daniel. But Daniel makes his fortune on patent medicines and moves back to his home village to establish the family colony, never looking back. Then Kammal, Daniel's son, works on a tea plantation after marrying an inappropriate woman chosen in a romantic stupor, she part Indian, part English. On the English run plantation, Kammal's wife is never accepted, but he toady's to his bosses, believing himself part of their society. In fact, he is their pawn. Kannan deals with his self-concept and particular circumstances in an almost simple-minded fashion. He has no substance, obsequious and self-effacing.

I have enjoyed many finely written Indian novels, among them The God of Small Things and A Fine Balance, and Cracking India, and love to immerse myself in this country and its history. Unfortunately, House of Blue Mangoes does not meet this standard. Davidar writes such muddled sentences as: "Michael drove very carefully, but the road was a familiar one, and there was no other vehicle about, so they made good progress." Yet the first chapter begins: "...as the lonely violence of dawn sweeps across the sky", with vivid imagery. Perhaps the story just got away from him, but in the final third of the novel the wooden dialog of the British literally put me into a stupor, bludgeoned by idiotic conversations. Because of Davidar's descriptive and poetic abilities, I believe this author has the talent to write about what he knows so well. All the stories and history are locked within him, perhaps more approachable on a smaller scale or more intimate characterization.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Is there an editor somewhere?, May 22, 2005

By 

John Sollami (Stamford, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The House of Blue Mangoes: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book was a gift from a friend whose judgment I respect. I tell myself that he must have recommended it because he only read Part 1. Indeed, this book's first 100 or so pages are terrific stuff, well written, descriptive, exciting, dramatic passages about caste hatred at the end of the 19th century in the south of India. I thought I had a great book on my hands: good characters, good descriptions, good action, and lots of interest. But then I went on to Part 2 and it's as if the world had spun around 180 degrees. The writing became turgid, dull, forced, absurd, uninteresting, and even pointless in many places. I ran out of energy to go on, but forced myself forward, hoping for the fireworks that started the whole thing off, only to be sorely disappointed. At Part 3, I admit I simply skimmed through to the end because I knew the author was taking the "plot" to the next generation of characters and, frankly, I didn't care much about the author's characterless, flat parodies of people anymore. I blame the publisher for not more firmly editing the material and for not giving the author constructive criticism and firm direction. But there are few good editors, just as there are precious few good writers out there. I think Davidar has a gift, but it needs direction. I hope he finds it.