A River Sutra

Rating:
Summary: Communism Rules
Review: "A River Sutra" takes place on the Narmada River, the holiest river in India. It is a collection of short stories, traveling deep into the human mind and soul. Ranging from the Naga Baba searching for enlightenment and reentering the world to become a scientist, the son of the owner of a huge diamond firm renouncing the world to become an ascetic, and a music teacher who found an escape from his miserable life through teaching a talented singer, leading to only more and more misery. Despite the novel's stimulating psychological analysis, many of the views Mehta presents are very subjective, and I don't agree with them. One of these, for instance, is her view on materialism - many times throughout the novel, Mehta strives to prove materialistic wealth doesn't matter and one may be content as long as his spiritual life is fulfilling. Personally, I disagree with this statement, because, especially in modern society, most aspects of our lives revolve around money - education, medical care, and even people who surround us. Also present in the novel are the biased views of the narrator, as all the stories are filtered through him before they reach us. For instance when relating "The Teacher's Story," Tariq Mia says "Finally I was able to convince Master Mohan he was not responsible for the boy's death." This biased view makes it difficult to differentiate between the narrator's view and the actual story. In spite of these flaws, the novel is very captivating, and opens up new perspective for the reader to consider.

Rating:
Summary: Floating in A River Sutra?s Valuable Insights
Review: - A Positive Analysis of Mehta's Masterpiece

Gita Mehta's A River Sutra touches upon the subjects that truly affect people's lives. Through her varying characters and collage of colorful tales, she evokes themes about emotion, desire and finding one's true self. Mehta proposes these heartfelt themes, by utilizing simple diction. This simplicity, however, still creates intricate, and descriptive ideas. For instance, one of Mehta's characters, Nitin Bose, states, "the extraordinary thing about inventing a persona is that one is loathe to give it up, especially if the fiction sits comfortably."(Pg. 118) Nitin Bose's statement offers good advice and a sophisticated insight, without being muddled by ornamented diction. Mehta even uses a favorable format in her novel, which enhances individual parts of the book, yet ties them altogether. Mehta writes multiple short stories, however connects them to one central theme. Mehta arrives at her theme by using characters that have different backgrounds in a sense, (profession, gender, family etc...) yet all undergo major life changes, which shape their very existence. Thus, the main theme of A River Sutra stems from the many different lifestyles and experiences the characters in the story embrace. This theme evokes the insight that each person has a destiny, which they will discover through life-changing events. I believe that such a strong central theme displays the deep meaning and insightful philosophies A River Sutra offers. I personally revere this aspect of offering expedient advice to readers. Too often in books, one reads for plot and objective analyzing. A reader experiences very little self-fulfillment or growth in such books. A River Sutra, however, not only gave readers insights into the complicated lives of diverse characters, yet it also used these character's experiences to present the dos and don'ts of life. Mehta's character the musician, for example, exemplified the idea that one should not take what they possess for granted. She wanted to marry like all the other young, beautiful women. She, however, did not initially see fault in desiring a traditional marriage to a man. She thus took for granted her stronger "marriage to music." (Pg. 224) This foolish pursuit has now left her "dead inside." (Pg. 226) Through the musician's misfortune, readers have gained knowledge about choosing life's pursuits carefully. A reader can also expect this same idea, or a similar idea in another one or several of Mehta's short stories. This expectation defines the beauty of the book format. Then surrounding the short stories, a narrator speaks about his reflections and reactions about the other character's tales. The narrator's reflections display the closest A River Sutra comes to achieving a solid plot. Thus, one can define the plot as a man who listens to the struggles and experiences of different people, and learns from his newfound perspectives on life. Despite the lack of one plot, but rather the triumph of many short story plots, A River Sutra delivers a great read for a person to learn and love.
A River Sutra did possess, however, some trivial flaws. Considering its creative style of combining short stories, Mehta had to sacrifice some clarity and cohesion in the book. Sometimes you feel engrossed in a story, like that of the courtesan's daughter, and then find that a new story has suddenly changed the book's focus. Also, although Mehta connects all the stories to a central theme, each story possessed its own lessons, which sometimes muddle Mehta's central focus. One, however, can overcome this sporadic confusion by simply keeping in mind the elements of past stories while reading. Another aspect of A River Sutra that one may find challenging to understand and follow comes with the terms used. Although Mehta uses clear diction, she often refers to Indian terms like, "Kama" or "aesthetic" and expects a reader to know them. Although the reader can find a definition of these terms at the end of the book, I doubt any involved reader would want to leave the reading in order to look up ambiguous references. Therefore, some ambiguity defines Mehta's only mistake in A River Sutra. Most readers would agree that Mehta's novel does indeed have some ambiguity. Readers would also agree, however, that this book presents great philosophies and ideas, which every person should embrace. This opinion stems from the fact that most readers will experience some frustration and possible boredom when reading A River Sutra, however, when looking back on the novel, they will find an enlightening read that shared new knowledge, and new insights.

- RAMI

Rating:
Summary: Enchanted reading!!!
Review: I found A River Sutra to be a clever novel that combined a number of short stories to provide an intense learning of culture, people, and ways of life. I was fascinated by the multiple themes that I took away from the novel after completing my reading, including love of the human heart, self-improvement, and the importance and impact death has on a human life. I enjoyed how the novel incorporated short stories, which each represented their own theme, into a complete story that ended by helping the narrator come to his own realization and conclusions about himself. I found some of the characters fascinating, but sometimes hard to understand, because of their rich Indian culture that I am not used to or have not read much about. Although I also loved reading the various different short stories, I was not able to really connect to one character throughout the whole novel. It was hard keeping up with the various different characters and all of their different life lessons and personalities.
This book stimulated me because it was some sort of a challenge for me to read and understand its multiple themes. It took my mind into thinking about important themes of life, such as love, death, and self-improvement, which are ideas I do not think about regularly. I found it surprising that once I concluded what the main character learned about him, I was able to arrive at various conclusions about myself also and how I view certain things. So, in a way, I learned as much about myself after reading this novel, as the main character did. I took away ideas of the seriousness of death and the love that it can take away from a person. I found greater appreciation for the people in my life that fill it with love. I also realized that love has no limit and can fill a life with bliss and happiness, but sadness and sorrow at the same time.
I found the various situations and character changes in the story, satisfying, but also hard to follow at times. The various characters made it hard for me to deeply sympathize or relate to any one particular character. Also, the novel was sometimes too rich or deep for my mind to understand or comprehend. It was not until after a couple times of re-reading or explanation from another scholar that I was able to understand what was really going on in some of the confusing parts.
I believe that this novel is greatly appreciated by people that think of life in enchanted ways and are deeply able to express and think about life and all of its complexities. It takes a lot of close reading and I would figure would be hard to understand for certain readers to understand. By reading this novel, expect to have your mind challenged in all sorts of ways. You will learn not only about various character reactions, but also about your own reactions to certain challenges in life. I believe this novel has so much potential and I was delighted to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this book!
Review: I will first say that as a first generation Indian in America who has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the Indian culture, I may hold a bias as to my opinion of this book. I found the way Gita Mehta set up her stories all to be woven by together by so many common threads (the Narmada, trying to understand one another, finding love) to be amazing. She shows how a country in the 20th century still tries so hard to preserve their culture and traditions and place emphasis on the spiritual life, instead of just diving into the world of technology that has captivated so many of us. Through stories which evoke empathy for the main characters, the reader feels as if they can truly relate to the characters.

Mehta shows true talent through her writing in this book, but her real strength lies in her ability to paint such clear images using only words. As a reader, you can see the gentle current of the Narmada and you can hear the soothing chants of meditating monks. I lost myself in the words on the pages and found myself again sitting somewhere between the Jain monk and the Naga Baba. Mehta succeeds in taking her readers to a place far from the real world, where they can reach a certain degree of clarity. As a reader, you will like the places Mehta will take you with words, and how she makes you question what you put emphasis on in life.

Nothing about this book left me unsatisfied, although the continuous change of scenery often left me a little confused. By clearly separating story scenes from the "present day" scenes with the narrator, the book as a whole would have gelled together more smoothly. For the reader with a passion for the Indian culture and who is able to recognize the beauty in simplicity, this book is a
must-read.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Story
Review: My teacher for AP Literature suggested that I read this book, and I'm thrilled that I did. The story takes place on the Narmada River, which is quite possibly believed to be the holiest place on Earth. The main character encounters various travelers who share their stories with him, and although every story is beautiful, unique, and often surprising, they are bound together through love, faith, and almost always music. Gita Mehta explores the different forms of love, the connecting force of faith, and highlights much of this with music. One of the questions I have to answerwhen responding to this book for class is what type of reader is needed to enjoy this book. This is the only book I've ever read where the only answer I can give is "a pulse." This book combines eloquent writing with fascinating stories, and there is nobody that I wouldn't encourage to read it.

Rating:
Summary: The Holy Narmada
Review: One of the greatest strengths of A River Sutra is its ability to captivate the reader while at the same time, evoking thoughtful reflections through descriptive and powerful words. Each tale is so written that one cannot help but stop and think about the deeper implications the author is trying to convey. Set in the heart of India, the stories surrounding the holy Narmada River creates a mythical and mysterious atmosphere in which the reader is spellbound. Many of the main characters in the short stories seem to demonstrate a similar theme: the power of love, which can act both positively and negatively for the character. I think the author does a good job of balancing the two extreme sides of love. While some find happiness, however ephemeral, in the love they share with that special someone, Mehta sharply contrasts that with the painful sorrow evoked from the loss of such a love. Mehta reveals her themes in such a way that the reader must work hard to connect that main idea through the different stories. Nevertheless, at the same time, Gita Mehta's short stories shape the novel so that its main theme or themes are separated and somewhat disconnected. It is harder to discern exactly what the lesson is that one should learn when each narrative ends abruptly, to be followed by commentary from the narrator. While the main characters, such as Nitin Bose, the Courtesan, the Jain Monk, and the ascetic developed their personalities and learned from their experiences, the narrator remains oblivious to the moral lessons. In the end, he still cannot comprehend how Professor Shankar could have attained enlightenment be reentering the world and becoming a man again.

Rating:
Summary: Winding down the thread
Review: The body of water referred to in the title, A River Sutra, is the Narmada River which is India's holiest river believed to possess mystical healing and cleansing powers. The promise of the river attracts a variety of characters with different motivations. The stories are otherwise completely detached from each other in person and circumstance except for their common relation to the narrator; more so to the narrator's supposed renunciation of the world.
Many may argue that the mutuality of the stories would lie in the River Narmada; although the river does flow throughout the novel and it is an obviously strong force in each traveler's tale, it does not function as aptly a unifier as the narrator. The river is omnipresent in the background and it is the shared destination amongst the trekkers; yet it does not combine the stories in any other way. The narrator, however, receives a final enlightenment at the completion of the anthology which ties the novel together. Initially, he boasts that he has rejected the world in his decision to relocate to the jungle and he equates his distance from modern civilization to complete denial of the "real" world. However after he has heard the many versions of renunciation from the visitors and Tariq Mia, only then does he realize the true meaning of the word and the action. The sutra, or the common thread, of the book is the narrator's rejection of the world; the purpose of the book is to portray the narrator's romanticized renunciation versus the harsh reality of true abandonment.
Each narrative is embedded with an archetypal morally based theme pertaining to evolving stages of human existence and the penance that we must offer for our human faults. There are three objects of renunciation in the novel - material, love and life.
The book is about external sources erupting into the life of the unmasked narrator and catapulting him onto a spiritual awakening upon the backs of these people's narratives. The title utilizes the word "sutra" which signifies a collection of aphorisms; the book characterizes these teachings in the bodies and renunciations of the river's visitors and the narrator, as the student to these narratives, represents the common thread.

Rating:
Summary: Exploration of life
Review: The heart holds many secrets, the capacity to love, to hate, to be selfish, altruistic. In order to understand the world, one must be exposed to all the experiences the world offers. The secrets of the heart are a main theme throughout the novel. Mehta expertly weaves together stories of the heart with vivid imagery and captivating characters. Readers from any background will be able to find a deep connection with at least one character. Being Indian myself, I found the book quite enjoyable. I could connect with numerous characters and understand the customs of the people. Mehta explains the customs so someone without an Indian background could understand somewhat, but it's a little confusing. An understanding of Indian culture and religion enhances some aspects of the novel, while an understanding of Buddhism or Jainism enhances others. Musicians and artists will also find deeper understanding in certain aspects, as will mothers, daughters, teachers, sons, and many other people. Any reader will learn something about themselves, love, death, and life. This is a novel well suited for readers of any ages and background. I strongly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: The Beauty of Discovering...
Review: The style of Gita Mehta in describing the powers of the holy River of Narmada is just so simple that it makes you live the miracles that the river offers to whoever visits seeking purity. The great secrets of India, the diversity in the traditions, the beliefs of the people and their total commitment, the beauty in the small things, the power of silence, and the better understanding of a different culture.

Each story Gita includes has its unique theme; they involve the search for serenity, purity, and perfection. The flow of the ideas and inspirations makes you live each story to the maximum, forces you to start making assumptions about the ending of the stories. The words used are so vivid; the description of the details is so rare and yet does not cause any confusion.

Great concepts to learn from, a very enlightening book to read, reading "A River Sutra" made me realize more the hidden beauty in the details, it made me reflect on our daily life, and never taking things for granted.

A must read book, and once you start it will be hard to put the book down until the last page.

Rating:
Summary: A River Stupid
Review: The title of Gita Mehta's novel, A River Sutra, refers to the Narmada River, a holy body of water which attracts a variety of characters with a variety of stories; stories which would be completely unrelated if not for a common narrator who is used as a tool to invoke some sort of theme pertaining to love and stages of human existence. Unfortunately, none of the stories or the characters are interesting. The book, in fact, is quite boring. The fable-like stories appear simple despite strange characteristics that result in confusion and some reader-indifference, like in the case of the courtesan's apparent suicide, or the tacky diary of the "insane" Nitin Bose. Most of the stories have subtle, underlying thematic qualities to them, but it takes a great deal of contrived thought to derive these qualities. For example, the final story of the Naga Baba could be perceived as a conclusion to all the other stories, but the idea isn't particularly exciting or rewarding (truly representative of the book's nature).
Despite the book's lackluster personality, much can be said about the way the novel was approached. Boringness aside, the format of having many unrelated short stories, tied together by a narrator without a common premise handed to the reader on a platter, is innovative. The language is also beautiful, written modestly in what some would call a "minimalist" style (without fluffy verse or hokey dialogue). One story had the effect of invoking actual human emotion: the story of the suffering Master Mohan and the singer Imrat. It was, however, quite unbelievable, and became lost in the effort to evoke some broad premise (whatever that may be).
Aside from boring characters, inactive stories, and a passively tiring narrator, the story's theme could be interpreted in too many ways, and they're all rather general, tackling "the meaning of the human heart" or "existing on a higher plane". Mehta incorporates many specific religious beliefs without saying anything substantial. And though I've already mentioned it, the narrator is a very frustrating character, who spews a mist of haze all over the story, making it ambiguous, and thus, more difficult to exhume a theme from. Some critics may have derived a theme from the book, but I doubt it's a theme you couldn't find on a page of a book filled with very "deep" yet general conundrums.
If Mehta cared to improve her novel, she would construct a PLOT-LINE before speaking with publishers. If nothing else, the book's language and short-story value will nearly outweigh it's bore, so I give Mehta's A River Sutra 2 out of 5 stars.