On the Road to Tarascon by Arnab Nandy Published by Niyogi Books on 01/01/2018
Genres: Fiction, Historical
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Goodreads
Arnab Nandy latest book published on the new year day of this year is fascinating. Not only because it is released on January the first but story that revolves around by shifting timelines between diverse locations and characters starting from the World War II era to the present day.
Painter on the road to Tarascon is painting by Vincent van Gogh, a painter whose reputation was equally under-appreciated when he was alive in comparison to after his death. Maybe the reason he died. Maybe his paintings truly are captivating. That is for another post to discuss. This story’s main element is the painting that after World War II was thought to be lost or destroyed in Germany. Many years after, a letter from a previous lover an old woman possess by her granddaughter, sets off a chain of events that lead to the discovery of van Gogh’s painting. The chain of events start from Berlin and leads the granddaughter to Kolkata a travel writer, Neil Bose, who falls for her. Little do they know, what lies ahead.
The storyline is marvelous! It has all the elements of an interesting historical fiction. The realistic element, the painting, is enough to attract a reader like me. The fact that painting was actually destroyed during the World War II. This makes the plot appreciable for all the creativity it brings and shows potential.
The characterization is good. Though it could have been deeper in terms of the context, I feel, there is enough focus on the main characters. The writing style of the book advances further with multiple narrative styles, which I am seeing is getting popular with Indian writers these days. The element of thrill does not flourish at all in this book. The plot does sound thrilling but the writing style does not convey that message. Also, the mingling of the protagonists has nothing to do with the actual plot but that can be ignored as I found it to be the only dragging element. In terms of the length of the book, it just over 200 pages.
I recommend you this book if you are looking to read a historical fiction with a blend of European Art and Indian setting.
4 out of 5!
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