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Raj A Novel Gita Mehta 9780449905661 Books

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Raj A Novel Gita Mehta 9780449905661 Books

A very enjoyable and enlightening read. A historical novel with a wealth of detail, capturing the flavour of life during a pivotal time in India's history. Key moments are woven into the story, with careful attention given to the impact on the people and the feelings each event generated. This novel stays well away from the common pitfall of historical novels, that of applying modern morals and ethics to history, this story has an authentic ring throughout. A wonderful introduction to the impact of the British rule and Independence on the Indian life at all levels. It is a novel, not a detailed historical treatise, but it does an excellent job of highlighting areas that might be interesting for further research.


Tags : Raj: A Novel [Gita Mehta] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Jaya Singh is the intelligent, beautiful, and compassionate daughter of the Maharajah and Maharani of Balmer. Raised in the thousand-year-old tradition of purdah,Gita Mehta,Raj: A Novel,Ballantine Books,0449905667,General,India;History;20th century;Fiction.,India;History;Fiction.,20th century,FICTION General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Literary,General Adult,History,India,Literary

Raj A Novel Gita Mehta 9780449905661 Books Reviews

I enjoyed reading the "Raj". It is an impressive price of historical fiction that covers a very eventful period of Indian history. Mehta did an execellent job of painting a vivid and entertaining picture of Rajput kingdoms during the British rule in India. I was however, disappointed by the one dimentionality of the characters. The kings by and large seemed to fall into the stereotypical pleasure loving, wealth squandering lot that were obsessed with somehow hanging onto thier thrones. While this may be an accurate description of most of them, it would have been good to depict one or two positive aspects of the royals, if any! Jaya Devi's long suffering Indian princess character also sadly lacked dimentionality and did not evoke much sympathy or respect. I was also a little bit disappointed with the later part of the book that dealt with events leading upto the Indian indenpendence. It seemed a little rushed and I wish the author spent more time in describing the characters of the freedom fighters better. However, given the complexity of highly eventful period with the British, the Indian royalty and the freedom fighters, the author did a good job telling a compelling and educative narrative. On the whole, a recommended read.
From all the reviews i've read of "Raj" I cant identify with any one of them and I think thats the same for all the other reviewers. I personally loved the story of "Raj". It was rich with vivid images and completely engrossed me from the day i started reading it. Unlike other reviewers, i did not find it the least bit slow but more like a movie that I didnt want to end.
Of course, for everything good there is always something negative. Even though the novel was generally wonderful the characters were not as sprightly as the images. There wasnt much character development that one could reflect upon at the end of the story. Even though the characters were a bit bland the style more than made up for it. A reader could feel the genuine and original knowledge of the subject with a strong sense of Indian culture. The end of the novel was not as good as the beginning. The final steps in the process that lead to Indian Independence and the description of what happened afterward was rushed compared to the beginning I felt as though there should have been more devoted to the second half because that part of the story was just as important and in some ways maybe more.
From Indian origin myself, the struggle of Jaya Devi, not only as an Indian princess but as a woman, fascinated me. The opinions that she had and would stand to hold on to filled me with a new degree of respect for Rajput women. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an interesting read and insight on the British Raj.
This novel reads as a chronicle, not only of Princess Jaya's life, but also of an India in transformation from the late 1800s up through the early years following Independence in 1947.
I enjoyed reading this book and found Princess Jaya to be a remarkable woman. She weathers a lot of trying experiences and shows herself to be resilient.
The only fault I found with the novel, however, was in the sequencing of historical events. For instance, some of what the author stated about the placing of some events during the First World War were not accurate. When I read a historical novel, I get a better appreciation for the novel when the historical events it describes are true and placed in the proper sequences. Perhaps for some other readers, that matters little. But for me, that took away from me giving this novel 5 stars.
Author Gita Mehta demonstrates her extraordinary grasp of the historical, political and cultural complexities of India, British and royal, under the Raj. She writes with realistic detail and subtlety about the period from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee to the violent and bloody civil wars for independence. Ms Mehta brings her characters, both fictional and real, to life. She gives the reader a firsthand view of a maharajah's royal zenana, (harem), where women in purdah are guarded by corrupt eunuchs and she takes us to the battlefields of WWI along with Indian Calvary warriors. We witness Mahatma Gandhi march to the sea, with hundreds of thousands of his countrymen, to break British laws against making salt. And we witness, most vividly, India's struggle for independence and partition - from nationalist, royalist and British points of view. Gita Mehta brilliantly translates the cultural nuances and vividly sets her scenes of pageantry and poverty.
At the center of this epic novel is Jaya Singh, the only daughter of the Maharajah and Maharani of Balmer. She was raised in the thousand year-old tradition of purdah by her mother and was educated exactly like her royal brother, (Balmer's heir), according to her father's decision. She learned to play polo, hunt tiger and wild boar, and how to govern and lead. Jaya marries the jaded, westernized Maharajah of Sipur and finds herself in a history-making position.
I have always been fascinated by India, especially during the period of the British Raj. Usually, however, the focus of the books I have read has been on the Indian nationalist movements and those who supported and led them. This well researched novel also delves into the lives and politics of princely India. An engrossing read with a fresh perspective - I really enjoyed it.
JANA
a++++++++++++
A very enjoyable and enlightening read. A historical novel with a wealth of detail, capturing the flavour of life during a pivotal time in India's history. Key moments are woven into the story, with careful attention given to the impact on the people and the feelings each event generated. This novel stays well away from the common pitfall of historical novels, that of applying modern morals and ethics to history, this story has an authentic ring throughout. A wonderful introduction to the impact of the British rule and Independence on the Indian life at all levels. It is a novel, not a detailed historical treatise, but it does an excellent job of highlighting areas that might be interesting for further research.