โPlease scroll down for an English review.
ืืืืืชื ืืงืจืื ืืช ืืกืคืจ ืืืืจ ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืืื ืืงืืืืจืืืช ืกืคืจืื ืืืกืืืจืืื ืืฉื ืช 2023 ืืืชืจ GoodReads. ืื ืืืื, 775 ืขืืืืื ืืจืชืืขื ืืืชื, ืืื ืืฉืืชื ืขื โืืืฃ ืขื ืืจืืโ ืืืฆืืืื ืืขื โืื ื ืงืจื ืื ืโ ืืืืืืชื ืื ืืืืชืจ ืืืงืจืื ืืช ืืกืคืจ ืฉืืื ืืืืจืื ืฉื ืืืขื 4.5 ืืืืืื ืืืืขื 236 ืืืฃ ืืืจืืื.
ืืกืคืจ ืกืืื ืืคืืช ืืืกืืืจืืช ืืขืืงืืช ืืืจ ืฉืืืฉื ืืืจืืช ืืืฉืคืื ืืืืืช ืืฉื ืช 1900 ืขื ืฉื ืืช ื-70.
ืืฆืืจ ืืืจืืื ืืขืืืื ืขืืงืืช ืืืจื ืืฉืคืื ืืืืืช ืืืช, ืฉืืจืืื ืืื ืืืฉืคืื ืืจืืืื, ืื ืืคื ืฉืชืืงืจื ืืืืฉื ืืื ืืืืืฆโื. ืืงืืจื ืคืืืฉ ืืช ืืจืืืื, ืืืฉืจ ืืื ืืช 12 ืืขืืืืช ืืืื ืฉื ืืืขืื ืืืืืขื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืื 40 ืขื ืืื ืฆืขืืจ. ืืืชื ืืืืืขื ืืื ืืขืืื ืฉื ืฉืืื ืืืื ื ืจืืืื ืืคืจืืืื ืืืื ืืืงื ืืช ืืืชื ืืฆืขืืจ ืื ืืืืืชื.
ืืืืจ ื ืืฉืืืืื, ืืจืืืื ืืืื ืื ืขื ืืฉืคืืชื ืฉื ืืขืื ืจืืืฆืช ืงืืื ืฉืืืจืืช ืืืืจ ืืื ืืืืจ ืืืื ืืช ืืืื ืืืืืขื. ืืคืื ืืืงืืื ืืขืฆื ืืช ืืืืื ืฉื ืื ื ืืืฉืคืื ืืืืชืื ืืช ืืืคื ืืชืืืืืืชื ืขื ืืกืื ืืช ืืืืื ืืช ืืื ืื ืืจ ืฉืขืืืจ ืืฉืืื.
ืืืงืืื ืืขืืืื ืขืืงืืช ืืืจ ืืืืช ืืฉื ืืืืื ืงืืืืืจ, ืจืืคื ืกืงืืื ืฉืืฆืืจืฃ ืืฉืืจืืชื ืืจืคืืื ืืืืืืื ืืืืื ืืืจืืืืช ืืื ืโืจ ืจืื ืืืจืงืืืืกื, ืฉื ืืื ืืงืืืฉืื ืืช ืืืืื ืืืืคืื ืืืืื ืฆืจืขืช.
ืฉื ื ืืฆืืจืื ืืชืืืื ืืืืจ ืขืืืืื ืืชืืคืืืืช ืืืกืืืจืืืช ืจืืืช, ืืืืงื ืืืืจืื ืฉื ืืจืืื.
ืืจืืื ื ืข ืืื ืืืืืืช ืฉืื ืืช, ืืืื ืื ืฉืื ืื. ืืื ืื ืชืืื ืืื ืืืจื, ืื ืื ืืืืืืืช ืืืจืืืืืช ืฉืื ืืื ืฉืืืจ ืขื ืืื ืืืจืืืช ืืกืืืืืช.
ืืื ื ืข ืืชื ืืขืืช ืืืืืืช ืืืคืจื ืื ืืืื, ืืืขืืกืืง ืืืขืื ืืืฉืคืืชื ืื ืืขืืกืืง ืืืืจื ืืืืืืช ืืืจืืืืช ืืงืืกืืืช ืืืฉืืืช ืืฉืืืืืื. ืืื ืขืืกืง ืืคืืืืืืงื ืืืืืกืืืจืื ืืคืืืืืืช ืฉื ืืืื, ืืื ืืคืืจืืง ืฉืืืช ืืฆืืืชืื ืืืื ืืฉืืืจืืจ ืืืืืื ืืืฉืืืื ืืืจืืื.
ืืืืจ ืฉืืกืืคืจ ืืื ืื ืจืืคื, ืืืืงืื ืฉืขืืกืงืื ืืจืคืืื ืขืืืกืื ืคืจืืื ืจืคืืืืื ืืืืืืจ.
ืืืื ืชื, ืืืืืจ ืฉืื ืืฉืจืื ืืืื, ืฉืืชืื ืืขืื ืืืื ืฉืื ืชืืขืื ืืช ืืืื ืืืืืกืืืจืื ืืืฉืคืืชืืช.
ืืกืืคืจ ืืงืฉื ืขื ืืงืืจื, ืืฉืืื ื ืข ืืื ืืืืืืช ืฉืื ืืช ืืืื ืื ืฉืื ืื ืืืื ื ืฉืืืจ ืขื ืงื ืขืืืื ืืื. ืืื ืขืืกืง ืืจืืืื ื ืืฉืืื ืฉืืืงื ืื ืืืืคืืื ืืืืคื ืืงืืฃ. ืื ืืกืฃ, ืืฉ ืื ื ืืืื ืืืืฆืจ ืขืืืืืช ืืฉื ื ืฉืขืืืืช ืืคืืจืืืช ืืืืจ ืืืฉื. ืขืื ืืขืื ืืฉืืื ืืจืืื ืืืืงืื ืืจืคืืืืื ืืชืจ ืขื ืืืืื ืืืคืืจืื ืืคืจืื ืคืจืืื ืืืื ืืฆืืจื ืืืืืื ืืืืงืื ืืืกืืืจืืื ืืืฉืืขืืชืืื ืืื ืืงืฆืจ ืืืื ื ืงืืฉืจ ืืืชื ืืืื ืืืืืืืช ืืขืืืื ืืืจืืืืช.
ืืขืืจ ืืื ืืื, ืื ืืืื. ืืืื ืกืืืืื. ืืืื ืืืืืืื. ืืืื ืขื ืืื. ืืืฃ ืืื ืืื ื ืืืืฉืจ ืืืืืื. ืืืื ืงืฉื ืืืฆืื ืืฉืื ืืืืืืืช ืฉื ืืืจืืื ืืืื ืืืืช ืฉื ืืชื ืืืชืืืจ ืืืื.
ืื ืืืืชื ืืืืจืช ืืกืคืจ ืืื ืืกืคืจ ืืฉื ื. ืืืืืื ืฉืื ืืืื ื ืืืืข ืืืคืจื ืืืื ืคืจื ืืืืืื ืฉืืื ืืื ืืฉืืืฉืช ืืกืคืจืื ืืืืืื ืฉืงืจืื. ืืกืคืจ ืื ืืื ืืืืง ืขืืจื ืฉืืงืฆืฅ ืืื 30 ื- 40 ืืืื ืืื ื, ืืืืื ืื ืืืืง ืืช ืืขืืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ืืืืืืืช ืืืขืืืืืช ืืืืืชืจืืช.
The Covenant of Water/ Abraham Verghese
Kindle Edition, 775 pages, 2023
ืืืจืื SIVI โ
ืืืืืช ืืืืื โ
I decided to read the book after it was chosen as the 2023 Historical Books category winner on the Goodreads website. Although the length of 775 pages was initially discouraging, I thought of other great novels like โGone with the Windโ and โAnna Karenina,โ which encouraged me to persevere. The book boasts an impressive rating of almost 4.5 stars based on over 236,000 ratings.
The story unfolds as an epic historical saga that spans three generations of an Indian family, from the turn of the 20th century to the tumultuous 1970s. At the heart of the narrative is Mariam, who later becomes known as Big Mamachi. We first meet Mariam at 12, when she is on the brink of marrying a 40-year-old widower with a young child. The groom, a landowner from Parambil, takes his young bride to his sprawling estate, setting the stage for a complex and multi-layered tale.
After their marriage, Mariam discovers that her husbandโs family is cursed, with one man in each generation doomed to die by drowning. This curse profoundly influences the familyโs lives and shapes their interactions with the dangerous waters of the river that flows through their territory.
Simultaneously, the plot follows Digby Kilgour, a Scottish doctor who joins the Indian Medical Services in British India along with Dr. Ron Urquist. Both dedicate their lives to treating leprosy patients.
In the novelโs final part, these two plot lines reunite after experiencing many historical upheavals and twists.
The narrative shifts between different characters and periods. While not always linear, its principal divisions maintain a specific structure.
Set against the backdrop of Indian societyโa complex web of caste stratification and intricate matchmakingโthe novel also explores the political history of India, from the abolition of serfdom to the countryโs liberation from British rule.
Given that the author is also a doctor, the sections dealing with medicine contain abundant medical details.
The author was inspired by his mother, who wrote a diary documenting her life and family history. However, the author often challenges the reader by shifting between various characters and times and failing to maintain a single plot line. He addresses topics that have not been explored and creates numerous subplots that spring up unexpectedly. The excessive detail in the medical sections sometimes overshadows significant historical moments, which are not always well tied to the main characters.
Throughout the novel, a pervasive tone emerges: This is India. Everyone suffers, is miserable, and struggles with poverty. Itโs challenging to connect with any of Vargheseโs many characters.
I wouldnโt choose this book as the book of the year. I genuinely do not understand why Oprah Winfrey selected it as one of the three best books she has read. The book could greatly benefit from an editor who cuts 30 to 40 percent of the content, tightens the plot, and eliminates unnecessary characters and subplots.
ืืืืืช ืขืื ืืืืชืจ Sivi's Books
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