Sean Bala reviewed The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux
Review of 'The Elephanta suite' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
"The Elephanta Suite" by Paul Theroux is a collection of novellas that the explores complex emotions and experiences of Westerner travelers in India. Theroux brings to these his typical acerbic observations and tight, interesting storytelling in three intertwined if uneven stories of desire and illusions in India. "Monkey Hill" follows a rich middle aged couple indulging in the rhythm of an idyllic India confined within the walls of a luxury resort. Each experience India differently, one as a loosening of the mind, the other as a heightening of the senses. Both struggle with desires to possess India physically and in failing, shatter their illusions. "The Gateway to India" follows a middle aged American lawyer who facilitates businesses seeking to outsource to India. At first repulsed by the place he descends into a debauched existence of imagined freedom through the slums. Finally, "The Elephant God" follows Alice, a recent American college …
"The Elephanta Suite" by Paul Theroux is a collection of novellas that the explores complex emotions and experiences of Westerner travelers in India. Theroux brings to these his typical acerbic observations and tight, interesting storytelling in three intertwined if uneven stories of desire and illusions in India. "Monkey Hill" follows a rich middle aged couple indulging in the rhythm of an idyllic India confined within the walls of a luxury resort. Each experience India differently, one as a loosening of the mind, the other as a heightening of the senses. Both struggle with desires to possess India physically and in failing, shatter their illusions. "The Gateway to India" follows a middle aged American lawyer who facilitates businesses seeking to outsource to India. At first repulsed by the place he descends into a debauched existence of imagined freedom through the slums. Finally, "The Elephant God" follows Alice, a recent American college graduate who lives a double existence between an ashram and a call center, all focused around a chained elephant she feels a deep connection. What makes these stories interesting is that we see characters who delight in the danger of loosing themselves in India, the place Theroux calls that "million person festival of futility." All four characters experience bliss in the embrace of India and seek to extend their stays hoping to keep a hold of exotic India. The land becomes the vehicle for their desires and they impose them onto the location. However, these illusions become shattered when ultimately they realize they lack the freedom and anonymity they thought they would find in India. In the end, they feel scrutinized and lost by their experiences. Theroux is a great writer and brings to these stories his typical acerbic observations and ruminations about humans and travel. What made this book interesting for me was that I can see shades of experiences he wrote about in his travel book "Ghost Train to the Eastern Star." The book becomes an interesting experience in seeing how the experiences of an author can influence their writing. The book is not perfect. I like the structure of the book but found the novellas were not equally enjoyable. The weak story of the three is "Monkey Hill" which at times lacks the nuance of the second two stories and has a weak, incomprehensible ending. The book is not for everyone but if you have enjoyed his other works, I would highly recommend "The Elephanta Suite."
