Eastwords: A Novel

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Irreverent and witty, Eastwords is a powerful novel that spans ages and continents. East meets west in its cast, both real and imagined, that includes Shakespeare (the ‘Bardshah’) and Siraj-ud-Daulah, Oberon and Titania, Robert Clive and Vasco da Gama, Caliban, Puck and Prospero. Deliciously tinged with magical realism, the story comes alive with characters who take on new incarnations as the plot progresses. The reader is witness to the reinvention of Shakespeare on Indian shores as Puck metamorphoses, and the beautiful Sukumari finds herself refashioned as the witch Sycorax. Even the August Shakespeare and Sheikh Piru, the narrator, perform a shape-shifting dance in this fabulous monsoon-tormented narrative, and we soon discover what happens to Ariel in his new-found freedom, and whether prospero lives on… Ray’s intoxicating prose is rife with literary allusions as Sheikh Piru leads us through the story, sharing asides, regrets and private jokes with the reader. Sheikh Piru is at once omniscient and involved, both hapless participant and detached observer, in the great tradition of Vyas himself, who was both the narrator of and a character in the Mahabharata. Drawn from a variety of sources ranging from ancient Hindu mythology to the literature of Renaissance England, Eastwords is a literary coup d’etat that sets the colonizers and the colonized against a richly dramatic backdrop. Pulsating with tropical intensity and encompassing treachery as well as abiding love, grace as well as redemption, this novel is a rollicking read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kalyan Ray

After doing his post graduation in Econimics from Calcutta University, Kalyan Ray joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1965. During his service career he held various important posts in the Government. He held various key posts dealing with rural evelopment. He had first hand opportunity to participate and observe various poverty alleviation programmes taken up by the Government of the day from time to time. as a keen observer of Indian economic scene with his grounding in economic science, he would observe the gulf between theory and implementation. Sri Ray was the District Magistrate of one of the most backward districts in the country and was actively involved in various development schemes undertaken. Besides, as one of the key functionaries of Government over a long period, he had the opportunity to see the short-term and long-term impact of various Government schemes. According to his observations development is a multi-dimensional thing and wishful thinking, coupled with money do not translate into development. Since retirement from service in 2001, Sri Ray is fully engaged in acadeic pursuits, which he planned during his service career. He has long been interested in problems of economic development and had earlier authored a book, A Search for Demand: The Missing link in Economic Development, 1985. He has also published number of articles on economic and social problems.