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Heat and Dust (Paperback)

by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (Author) "Shortly after Olivia went away with the Nawab, Beth Crawford returned from Simla ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: John Murray; New edition edition (13 Oct 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0719561779
  • ISBN-13: 978-0719561771
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 108,409 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > J > Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer
    #31 in  Books > Fiction > World > Indian

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Product Description

Sunday Times

‘A writer of genius … a writer of world class – a master storyteller’


Review

‘A superb book. A complex story line, handled with dazzling assurance ... moving and profound. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala has not only written a love story, she has also exposed the soul and nerve ends of a fascinating and compelling country. This is a book of cool, controlled brilliance. It is a jewel to be treasured’ (The Times )

‘A writer of genius ... a writer of world class – a master storyteller’ (Sunday Times )

'Coolly assured novel ... Written with seek elegance, this book delves into the heart of an unmistakably seductive country' (The Good Book Guide )

‘Her tussle with India is one of the richest treats of contemporary literature’ (Guardian )
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Shortly after Olivia went away with the Nawab, Beth Crawford returned from Simla. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars THE HEAT OF THE ROMANCE...THE DUST OF ITS ASHES..., 31 Dec 2002
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Heat and Dust (Paperback)
This is a well written book that explores Anglo-Indian relations through the power of romance. Set in two distinct eras, colonial India of the nineteen twenties, during the time of the Raj, and the independent, freewheeling India of the nineteen seventies, during the time when India was a mecca for disenfranchised youth, it tells the story of two women.

One story is that of Olivia, the wife of a minor district official in colonial India, who in 1923 caused great scandal by running off with the Nawab, a local Indian prince. Divorced by her husband, Douglas, for this scandalous transgression, Olivia remains in India, while Douglas remarries.

The second story is that of the narrator, a descendant of Douglas and his second wife. During the nineteen seventies, fascinated by the story of the now deceased Olivia, she goes to India, visiting those locations where Olivia had lived and those which would have been a part of her existence at the time. As did Olivia, she falls under India's spell. As did Olivia, she, too, has an Anglo-Indian love affair, and picks up where Olivia left off, giving the reader a powerful sense of de-ja vu.

The book is a beguiling story of two women from two different generations who come under the spell of India. The book is evocative of British colonial India, as well as of India of the nineteen seventies. During both eras, Anglo-Indian relations are pivotal to the budding romances. The book is evocative of the rythyms of Indian life in all its richness and tumultuousness, as well as its lingering poverty and superstitions. It is redolent of a time gone by and hopeful of what is to come. It is also an interesting dichotomy of the good and bad in both cultures, Anglo and Indian, and the influence that both cultures have on these two women, who are so different, yet so alike.

This is a book that whets the appetite, leaving the reader wanting more than the author is prepared to give. It is, nonetheless, a book well worth reading. The book was also made into a Merchant Ivory film starring Julie Christie and Greta Scacchi.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Two Parallel Lives So Different, 16 Feb 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Heat and Dust (Paperback)
"Heat and Dust" rarely evoked the images of either of these two things for me.... Perhaps it was such a richly human novel concentrating most centrally on the feelings of women and their problems at two different moments in Indian history that I was more caught up in the drama of its characters than in the Indian landscape. Heat and Dust is not a dry novel. I think that one of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the shared story between Olivia, the young woman from the 1920's, and the unnamed young woman of the 1970's who is the granddaughter of Olivia's British husband. The parallels between their lives are beautifully set aside one another, while at the same time, using the two women as a guide, we can see how India and the lives of women around the world have changed in the short span of fifty years. It is interesting to note how Ruth Prawer Jhabwala manages to show this huge contrast using the lives of two white English women as her instrument. If you are looking for a complex saga, this is not your type of novel, because "Heat and Dust" is quite simple and straightforward, but I think it is an interesting pair of stories for both women and men who are interested in India and interested in how choices can affect our lives. It is mind-boggling for me to think how different two women's lives can be due to the simple fact that their dates of birth are a few decades apart, but in "Heat and Dust" we can see that this seemingly simple factor changed the courses of millions of lives, while for others the years change little or nothing at all. Enjoy reading!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A portrait of India, 13 Jun 2008
By BookWorm "BookWorm" (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
A deceptively simple story, written in a clear, economical and direct style. Set in India both before and after the British Raj, it is as much a portrait of a country as it is a story of two women. I could really feel the heat and dust of the title and the atmosphere and culture of India are well evoked.

The plot has two strands. One is set in 1923, and revolves around Olivia, the bored British wife of a civil servant working in India. She is drawn into the circle of the charismatic Nawab of Khatm, an Indian prince. The second strand is composed of diary entries by Olivia's step-grandaughter, who has travelled to India in the 1970s to explore her family's past. The two interweave nicely, with some parallels developing.

Despite its simplicity, this is a readable and enjoyable story which retains momentum. I was a bit disappointed with the ending which was unsatisfying - the story built to a climax only to fizzle out.
I felt that it rather let down the rest of the writing. But it was certainly an intimate portrait both of India and of human nature in general, and explored some of the issues around colonialism in a gentle but probing way. I would certainly recommend it to anyone with an interest in India, but not to those who prefer books with lots of action.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars This book won the Booker in 1975, NOT 1983
The Amazon synopsis is in error--I couldn't figure out why a book that came out in 1975 had won in 1983, then I checked some lists, including Amazon's Awards list and found '83... Read more
Published on 27 Jul 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars touching
This is an enjoyable novel that can be read in a few hours. Olivia, the Nawab, Harry and everyone else were believable. Read more
Published on 14 Jun 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable
The best novel I have ever read depicting an Indian Story Line. Though the author is not considered an Indian, she displays her thoughts in a classical but respectful way....
Published on 21 May 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific descriptions, a pleasant read!
this is one of my favorite books by jhabvala (or any other author for that matter)! all the characters are believable & the ending very poignant. Read more
Published on 15 May 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars New and old worlds collide
1975 Booker winner, although why I'm not sure. The infinite contrast between rich & poor, educated & uneducated, the order but injustice of colonialism, the beauty &... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars aspects of love
hi there iam a sixteen yr old who is studing the novel Heat and Dust as part of my english Hsc course

I think that Ruth has done a comendable job in depicting the unique world... Read more

Published on 17 Mar 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars The veil lifts up as the real essence of India is revealed
We see how the white lifestyle had immediately segregated themselves at the top of the pyramid in the level of hierarchy.
Published on 16 Jan 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars I've never forgotten this book
As a sensitive individual with an adventurous and even rebellious spirit, I found kindred souls in both of the main characters of the two stories in this one novel. Read more
Published on 24 May 1998

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