She of the Mountains: A book review

 

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Love love love

Sorry if I am a bit incoherent, but that is the effect this book has on me. I mean, shit. I think I am crying. Let me cry though. Let me cry and revel in this feeling of pure and unadulterated joy.

My heart. Its aching.  But this time it’s because I am so touched. Also, side note absolutely unnecessary, but I think I am in love. In love with the writing style, in love with the storytelling, in love with every word that is written here. The perspective is so beautiful.

This is why we are lonely. Hmmmmmmmm…….. Sigh. That’s me utterly satisfied.

Her words feel like echoes, you hear them even when they are not there.

Sooo, anyways let’s get started. I picked up the book in continuation of my resolve to read all the books in the PopSugar 2020 reading challenge to-read list that I had made waaaay back when it was 2°C, and my way of warming myself was making lists. I made lists, I forgot about them. Then quarantine happened. Well it was too hot to make lists, so I am cooling myself down by crossing names off them. This is the review of “She of the Mountains by Vivek Shraya” that I read to cross off the book under the category ‘a book by a trans or a non-binary author’.

This book revolves around two worlds. One of them is around the main character Him and other takes a leaf out of Indian Mythology and revolves around Parvati. Both of these are so beautifully written that the story just flows. This is a smoll novella of 71 pages that I read in one sitting. And then lamented about completing the book so quickly.

The story of Him makes you cry with him, laugh with him, and root for him. It’s a story of self-discovery and identification. It’s a story of how society views you and how it impacts you and your perspective about yourself. The repeated you’re gay you’re gay you’re gay from both the community he belongs to and the community he doesn’t, depicts how society accepts you when you follow their pretty guidelines but is quick to question and ridicule you if you don’t. The constant questioning of self-worth is something that every person goes through at some stage of their lives. The author has described this in a way that is very easy to relate to and understand what is happening.

I was left wanting a little bit after the ending but that’s because I am a sucker for closed endings and defined futures. I like closure in my stories. I like reassurances that everything is fine, or when it is not fine, I like to know that too. This story felt like it started in the middle and ended in the middle, which is fine, but someone tell that to my itch to know everything please.

The story revolving around Parvati has the appearance of Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Kali, and Muruga. This part of the story feels mystical and yet so human. There is an ambience of greatness which is usually associated whenever you talk about Gods, but there is also a vulnerable air to it too. I remember waiting for their part to come so that I could read what happened next, and isn’t that one of the best kinds of feelings.

There is use of language that is a bit mature, sometimes, nothing that you won’t find in other novels but they usually euphemize it. Just a heads up. But most of the time it feels like you’re reading poetry. Good poetry.  

All in all I really really really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who comes asking.

Happy Reading

P.S. I loved the illustrations in the book. It was done by Raymond Biesinger and I think he has done an amazing amazing job.

P.P.S I love the fact that the author (according to Goodreads) is an artist who whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, and film. I stan her.

Toodles

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