Seahorse in Fictional Fortress

From the Bookshelf of Fictional Fortress…

Seahorse

Janice Pariat

Start date: December 1, 2015

Finish date: December 31, 2015

Discussion: Monthly Read-Alongs

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January Read-along
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last updated Feb 07, 2016 07:10AM

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What Members Thought

Dec 01, 2015 Krittika Mittal rated it really liked it

A small note to everyone whose reading the novel, Janice has all the soundtracks mentioned in her book on her website. I was upset about finding out about this after I finished the book and not before. I have never read anything like Seahorse better. Janice Pariat is amazing, the words flow so effortlessly from page to page. She manages to take seemingly simple stories and write them in a way that's heartrending. The book is beautiful. The story? I don't know. Perhaps, in the end, I'm just not m ...more

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Dec 18, 2015 Meera Nair rated it liked it · review of another edition

In Seahorse, Janice Pariat weaves a hauntingly captivating tale of a wandering soul looking to fill the void left by unsatisfactory familial relations, newfound self perceptions and a lackluster lifestyle. Nehemiah is an English Major student of Delhi University whose grief upon the loss of a loved one is swept aside through his interactions with a professor from his college. Nicholas becomes more than just a confidante to Nem and so his sudden disappearance leaves Nem devastated. Years later, a In Seahorse, Janice Pariat weaves a hauntingly captivating tale of a wandering soul looking to fill the void left by unsatisfactory familial relations, newfound self perceptions and a lackluster lifestyle. Nehemiah is an English Major student of Delhi University whose grief upon the loss of a loved one is swept aside through his interactions with a professor from his college. Nicholas becomes more than just a confidante to Nem and so his sudden disappearance leaves Nem devastated. Years later, an anonymous message sends Nem on a frantic chase to look for Nicholas and seek answers to questions that have been brewing in his mind all along.

I picked this up for a book club and the synopsis was so intriguing I had no doubts about starting it as soon as I got it. This book is unique in the way it is formatted as well as the writing style. It has no chapters but is sectioned into three parts. The way the novel is phrased doesn鈥檛 give you a distinct beginning, middle and end. There are tons of flashbacks used; some so abruptly placed, it took me a while to realize that it was a scene from Nem鈥檚 past. Pariat鈥檚 writing style is fluid and mesmerizing. Lines and paragraphs felt like waves lapping over my mind, receding and leaving their essence behind. Nem鈥檚 story is a tad bit draggy and simplistic. It is not fast paced or thrilling and so I had to make an effort to keep reading. But every time I thought I should take a break, some metaphoric line or philosophical quote would pull me back in. The main USP of this book would probably be that it is a retelling of Poseidon and Pelops鈥� myth. However, I didn鈥檛 know the backstory so I had nothing to compare this retold version with. Themes of homosexuality, estrangement, death, betrayal are explored in this novel. While I didn鈥檛 feel compelled to read the book, there was so much intensity and content in it that I wanted to finish it. Many a times I sympathized with Nem for he appeared to be so lonely and needy. His family too seemed rigid and not very loving. I didn鈥檛 love the book, neither did I hate it. Nem鈥檚 story is far removed from such matters of fluctuating choices we readers make. There was something increasingly motionless about the story 鈥� like a still lake. If you are philosophical or like retellings, you should give Seahorse a try. ...more

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