Sean Bala reviewed Better to Have Gone by Akash Kapur
Review of 'Better to Have Gone' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This book was one of my favorite reads of the year. Deeply moving and engaging, it tells four interwoven stories. The main narrative is Kapur's investigation into the mysterious death of John and Diane (his wife's parents) while he and his wife were children. They both grew up in Auroville, a utopian community based near Puddicherry in Southern India founded by The Mother and inspired by the writings of Sri Aurobindo. The secondary narratives look at the history of Auroville and the people who came from all over the world, and the complex dynamics of communal experiments. But what brings the narrative together is Kapur's reflection of his own complex relationship with Auroville after he and his family return to live in Auroville in the mid 2000s. How can we return to a place that means so much to us and yet has caused us so much pain? This was …
This book was one of my favorite reads of the year. Deeply moving and engaging, it tells four interwoven stories. The main narrative is Kapur's investigation into the mysterious death of John and Diane (his wife's parents) while he and his wife were children. They both grew up in Auroville, a utopian community based near Puddicherry in Southern India founded by The Mother and inspired by the writings of Sri Aurobindo. The secondary narratives look at the history of Auroville and the people who came from all over the world, and the complex dynamics of communal experiments. But what brings the narrative together is Kapur's reflection of his own complex relationship with Auroville after he and his family return to live in Auroville in the mid 2000s. How can we return to a place that means so much to us and yet has caused us so much pain? This was a wonderful read and I highly recommend it.
