The Death of Vishnu
Book - 2001
At the opening of this masterful debut novel, Vishnu lies dying on the staircase he inhabits while his neighbors the Pathaks and the Asranis argue over who will pay for an ambulance. As the action spirals up through the floors of the apartment building we are pulled into the drama of the residents' lives: Mr. Jalal's obsessive search for higher meaning; Vinod Taneja's longing for the wife he has lost; the comic elopement of Kavita Asrani, who fancies herself the heroine of a Hindi movie.Suffused with Hindu mythology, this story of one apartment building becomes a metaphor for the social and religious divisions of contemporary India, and Vishnu's ascent of the staircase parallels the soul's progress through the various stages of existence. As Vishnu closes in on the riddle of his own mortality, we wonder whether he might not be the god Vishnu, guardian not only of the fate of the building and its occupants, but of the entire universe.
Publisher:
New York : Norton, 2001.
ISBN:
9780393050424
0393050424
0393050424
Branch Call Number:
SURI
Characteristics:
295p. 24cm.



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Add a CommentOf course, when my eye caught the title, i at once thought that 'vishnu' was the ancient god of the main three gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. But can a god ever die? How about a man who thinks he is a god (Nothing to do with this plot or characterization; only idly speculating, because to do so is possibly attractive to more than bees....)/ If you enjoy this title, mayhaps you would also enjoy and derive some benefit from AS I LAY DYING, and DEATH OF IVAN ILLYCH, the first, American, the second, Russian.
Captivating descriptions and tale. Suri is a master of plot and intertwinings of characters.
This book gave me good insights into the many layers of Indian culture. Because of my prior vague notions of Indian society and the multiple characters, it was difficult for me to finish reading the book - but well worth the effort.